Manitoba Arts Program Takes On Short Stories
Since late spring, our storytelling club has been meeting both in-person and online, bringing together our community through the power of narrative. The idea for the club grew from a shared feeling that something was missing. In a world where social media often dominates our attention, and with a noticeable decline in community programs since the pandemic, we saw a need for a space where people could connect in a more meaningful way. Storytelling, one of the oldest and most human forms of communication, felt like the perfect solution—a way to step away from screens and build genuine connections.
Our little group was set up purely for fun and as a creative outlet. As a small community with very few recreation options, especially during the quiet summer and winter months, we decided to take matters into our own hands and create a program ourselves. The club has become a vibrant part of our local arts scene, offering a much-needed activity for anyone who enjoys sharing, listening, and being part of a creative community. We’re excited to see how our stories continue to unfold and bring us all closer together.
The group’s goal is to develop 52 short stories, one for each week of a year.
Learning about Publishing
Even though our program is small and primarily focused on personal development and fun, it has also become an unexpected hub for learning new skills. One of the most exciting new areas for the group has been learning how to take our short stories and actually publish them. We started with the basics of writing simple stories, but quickly moved on to more practical skills.
A key part of this journey has been learning how to use Content Management Systems (CMS) to publish our work online. We’ve been using WordPress, a popular platform that has given us the skills to not only post our own stories but also to potentially support other community projects in the future.
We didn’t stop there. The group also took on the challenge of converting our stories into EPUB formats, which are perfect for e-readers. We even built a simple app to help with the conversion process, which has been a huge accomplishment for our team. These skills are helping us turn our creative passion into tangible, shareable works.
Exploring Wider Publication
As our meetings continued throughout the summer, we saw an opportunity to not just publish on our own platform, but to explore sharing our stories with a wider audience. This idea was met with some initial hesitation. We had created the club for fun and personal development, not for competition or “being the best.” However, after a group discussion, we decided to give it a try for those who were interested.
Since we already had the tools in place—including our custom-built app and framework for converting files and our ability to create EPUB formats—taking this next step felt like a natural progression. We realized we could leverage our technical skills to share our work beyond our immediate community. It’s a way for us to celebrate our stories and the hard work we’ve put into them, without losing sight of the fun, supportive environment that makes our club special.
Today, our club has taken a huge leap forward by learning how to publish our stories across multiple distribution channels. We’ve gone from simply sharing with our group to making our work available on platforms and bookstores all over the world! What started as a small, interdisciplinary arts project has now grown into something truly global. It’s been an incredible experience to see our stories, born in our small community, now able to be shared with people everywhere.
Published stories will be available beginning in mid-October.
Next Steps: Oral History Storytelling in Manitoba
As we’ve continued to meet, a particularly strong interest has emerged in oral history storytelling. This focus is driven by a deep sense of urgency to preserve the wisdom of our Elders before it’s gone. We’ve realized that as our population ages, a wealth of knowledge and personal history risks being lost forever. By sharing these stories, we can honor the lives and experiences of those who came before us and ensure that vital parts of our collective history are passed on to future generations.
Thanking our Supporters
The Arts Incubator Winnipeg Storytelling Club is very thankful to the funders and organizations that have supported our interdisciplinary activities this summer. We especially thank Art Borups Corners, the Ontario Arts Council Multi and Inter-Arts Projects program, the Labovitz School of Business and Economics, the Minneapolis College of Art and Design Creative Entrepreneurship Program and Global Dignity Canada.
