Storytellers School Of Toronto, The

What Storytellers School Of Toronto, The does

Storytelling Toronto (formerly the Storytellers' School of Toronto, founded 1979) is a private, non-profit arts organization headquartered at Artscape Wychwood Barns, Studio 173, 601 Christie Street, Toronto. It convenes and develops the oral storytelling community through a portfolio of recurring events (1001 Friday Nights of Storytelling weekly since 1978, StorySwap Canada ONLINE weekly since 2020, Storytent at Wychwood Barns), structured educational courses (Storytelling I, Storytelling II: Next Steps with Ruth Danziger, Storytelling with Young Children), the annual Toronto International Storytelling Festival, the Storypillar concert series, and the Storytent Apprentice Program for emerging tellers. The organization also operates the Storytellers' Directory, an online listing of professional storytellers, and publishes the bi-weekly Pip! newsletter. It serves three primary customer segments: general storytelling enthusiasts (listeners and tellers across skill levels), educators and parents seeking storytelling techniques for young children, and professional/emerging storytellers seeking performance and professional development opportunities.

The organization runs on a thin operational footprint — 3 named staff (Artistic Director Justin Shaw, Financial Administrator Mora Olubobokun, Arts Administrator Bonnie Hay) supported by an 8-person Board of Directors — and is powered by Wild Apricot membership and event management software. Its go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, reaching audiences directly through in-person programming at 8+ Toronto venues, online Zoom sessions, and word-of-mouth within the Toronto arts community.

Revenue is generated through four streams: recurring membership fees (members receive discounted course and event pricing), course and workshop registration fees ($65–$160 per course), event ticket sales ($5–$30, with tiered and First Nations discounted pricing), and donations. The organization is also supported by core funding from the Canada Council for the Arts, Toronto Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council, Ontario Power Generation, and the Ontario Media Development Corporation / Telefilm Canada. Most events use a pay-what-you-can pricing model, making programming broadly accessible.

Name

Storytellers School Of Toronto, The

Legal name

Storytelling Toronto

Website

https://storytellingtoronto.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Storytelling Toronto is a Toronto-based non-profit arts organization (founded 1979) that runs weekly open-mic events, storytelling courses, and an annual festival to develop and convene the oral storytelling community, funded by membership fees, event tickets, donations, and government arts councils.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts Education & Cultural Programming

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (71151)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Theatre & Storytelling Festivals (MPAGAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Workshops & Masterclasses (Live, Audience-Facing) (MPAGACAM), Educational & Youth Community Events (School/Youth Festivals) (MPAGAEAM)

Keywords

• Oral storytelling education
• Storytelling festival events
• Storytelling courses workshops
• Community arts programming
• Storytelling membership organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership program offering benefits to supporters and participants of Storytelling Toronto. Members receive discounted pricing on courses, workshops, and select events.
2. Course and Workshop Registration: Fees charged for structured storytelling courses and workshops. Example: Storytelling with Young Children course at $78 member / $80 regular. Storytelling II course at $144 member / $160 regular. Performance workshops at $65-$75.
3. Event Ticket Sales: Revenue from ticketed performances and events including festival programming, live streams, and special concerts. Tickets range from $10-$30 depending on event type and attendee category.
4. Donations: Donations accepted via website. 'Donate' CTA prominently featured on homepage. Supported by government arts funders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Storytelling Toronto delivers oral storytelling education and live storytelling events through structured courses (e.g., Storytelling I, Storytelling II, Storytelling with Young Children), weekly recurring open-mic events (1001 Friday Nights since 1978, StorySwap Canada Online, Storytent), themed concert series (Storypillar Series), and an annual multi-day Toronto International Storytelling Festival. Programs are supported by an annual membership program and targeted at adult tellers, educators, parents, and the broader storytelling community.

Product overview

Storytelling Toronto is a non-profit arts organization offering a diverse portfolio of oral storytelling programs and services. The core offerings include weekly recurring events (1001 Friday Nights of Storytelling since 1978, StorySwap Canada Online Open-Mic, and Storytent sessions at Wychwood Barns), annual programming (Toronto International Storytelling Festival, Storypillar Series), and structured educational courses (Storytelling I, Storytelling II, and specialized courses like Storytelling with Young Children). Additional services include the Storytellers' Directory for connecting professional tellers with audiences, the Pip! newsletter, and the Storytent Apprentice Program for emerging storytellers. The organization serves as Toronto's home for oral storytelling, convening communities and championing storytelling artists across all skill levels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Storytelling Courses

Quantifiable outcome

• 1001 Friday Nights of Storytelling running every Friday since 1978
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Storytellers of Canada - Conteurs du CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational storytelling organization that supports StorySwap Canada online open-mic. Volunteers from almost every Canadian region participate. Provides network support and community connections for Toronto programming.
• Artscape Wychwood BarnscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtscape is a not-for-profit urban development organization that provides affordable studio and presentation spaces for artists. Storytelling Toronto's headquarters and primary programming venue at Studio 173, 601 Christie St. Provides physical home for courses, workshops, and events.
• The ArquivesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorToronto-based LGBTQ+ community archive. Hosted Queers in Your Ears event during the Toronto International Storytelling Festival.
• A Different BooklistminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorToronto cultural bookstore and community space. Hosted Festival Kick-Off event for the 2026 Toronto International Storytelling Festival.
• Wild ApricotcoreTechnology or IntegrationMembership management and event software platform. Powers Storytelling Toronto's website, event calendar, membership database, newsletter subscription, and online registration.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Moth: The Moth is the leading global storytelling performance organization, running curated live storytelling shows and an open-mic community series with international reach. It is the closest direct analog to Storytelling Toronto's model of weekly open-mic storytelling combined with featured showcases and ticketed performances.
• StoryCorps: StoryCorps is a US-based nonprofit that records, preserves, and shares oral stories from everyday people, with national reach and major institutional funding. It shares Storytelling Toronto's non-profit storytelling mission and community-driven participation model, though its emphasis is on recorded oral history rather than live performance.
• MassMouth: MassMouth is a Boston-area nonprofit that runs storytelling slams, workshops, and community events to promote the art of storytelling. It mirrors Storytelling Toronto's combination of community open-mic, structured courses, and festival-style showcases, serving as a similar city-scale storytelling hub.
• National Storytelling Network: The National Storytelling Network is the largest US membership organization supporting the art of storytelling, hosting an annual festival and providing resources to storytellers. It is comparable in mission to Storytelling Toronto as a convening body for the storytelling community, though at a national US scale rather than a city-level focus.
• Capital Storytelling: Capital Storytelling is a Washington, DC-area storytelling nonprofit that runs community storytelling events and showcases. It is comparable to Storytelling Toronto as a city-level organization promoting oral storytelling through regular events and community building.
• Storytellers of Canada - Conteurs du Canada: Storytellers of Canada is the national Canadian federation of storytelling societies and a strategic partner of Storytelling Toronto through the StorySwap Canada Online Open-Mic. It operates a parallel mission of supporting oral storytelling practitioners across regions and shares the same community-led, grant-supported model.

Regional players

• Bocas Lit Fest: Bocas Lit Fest is a leading Caribbean literary festival featuring storytelling, oral performance, and author events. It is comparable in operating model as a multi-venue storytelling festival, but operates in a different geography (Trinidad and the Caribbean) from Storytelling Toronto's Toronto/Canadian base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/storytelling-toronto

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Storytellers School Of Toronto, The