History & Mandate of the VSOS

The Vancouver Society of Storytelling is committed to the development and encouragement of storytelling as an art form and to increase the public's appreciation of storytelling and oral traditions. There is a strong commitment to multiculturalism and service to the storytelling community.

We organize and present events throughout the year, and invite everyone to come out, be it...as a volunteer, or as a professional or amateur teller.

The Society was founded in 1991, as a non profit organization, by members of the Vancouver Storytelling Circle which had already been in existence for more than 5 years. We receive a combination of government, private and some corporate funding, for which we are profoundly grateful.

The Society grew out of a commitment to broaden the scope of storytelling in Vancouver, to reflect cultural diversity and to produce larger storytelling events and opportunities without disturbing the informal and loosely structured nature of the Circle. In 2000 the Society and the Circle joined forces. Both storytellers and listeners work together to further the objectives of the VSOS which are:

To encourage and foster the development of storytelling as an art form. To increase public appreciation of the art of storytelling and oral traditions. Through storytelling to recognize both the differences and the similarities among individuals, communities and cultures.

The VSOS is a member of the Vancouver Cultural Alliance, the Community Arts Council of Vancouver and the Vancouver Multicultural Society and works with these organizations to further the cultural interests of the city, the province and all of Canada. In addition, the VSOS is linked with other storytelling organizations across the country and internationally, sharing information and supporting each other in every way possible.

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