Bexley residents swapped stories, made connections and shared experiences at the city’s inaugural Story Slam event Thursday, Jan. 22 in conjunction with One Bexley and the Drexel Theatre.
Story Slam organizer and consultant Kaia Woodford explained the event, titled “Stories of Belonging,” featured four Bexley residents sharing personal narratives about the theme of belonging, followed by an engagement session in which community members shared their own stories and thoughts.
The speakers explored a variety of topics, including challenging long-held assumptions, affordable housing, parenting children with disabilities and the effect of upbringing on one’s values.
Woodford said the idea for the event arose during a meeting with Bexley Mayor Ben Kessler regarding initiatives to promote inclusivity and equity throughout the community. She added the Story Slam format was modeled after a popular NPR segment called the “Moth Radio Hour.”
“He wanted to emulate what the ‘Moth’ does and envisioned it centering around a sense of belonging,” Woodford explained. “He really wanted it to be a community-focused event.”
The planning process for the slam began in late September, Woodford said. She added the city attempted to host the event before Thanksgiving, but logistics and planning led to the date being pushed back until the new year.
“As the date approached, it became evident people were more consumed with the election and the holidays, and it didn’t seem feasible to get everything organized in time,” she said.
Woodford explained the individuals who volunteered to share their stories expressed diverse opinions and experiences in their presented pieces.
“The criteria to apply was not super rigid,” she said. “We didn’t want to paint a one-dimensional picture of Bexley.”
Woodford added the community discussion aspect of the event came later on in the planning process; she was extremely satisfied with the level of participation and assistance from local residents.
“There was some back and forth about whether the discussion break would be productive, but it went well in a way we didn’t anticipate,” she said.
Story Slam participant Tiasha Letostak explained she was not planning to speak at the event but applied after being contacted by Kessler. The event organizers assisted her in developing the outline of her story, she added.
“In the application, I had included some ideas, but noted I’d love some guidance to help narrow down my story,” Letostak explained. “We met later that week to talk through everything, and then I drafted my story and received feedback.”
Letostak said she was extremely nervous on the day of the event, but the city officials aided the participants in staying calm and focused.
“The organizers were really wonderful and hyped us all up,” she explained. “It really helped ease my anxieties and overcome my nervousness.”
Bexley Middle School science teacher and event attendee Pamela Sexton said she felt hopeful for the community after attending the event.
“It was amazing to look around and see how many members of the community were in attendance,” she explained. “I felt so encouraged that I live in a city which supports this level of inclusion.”
Woodford said she was pleased with both the amount of people in attendance and attendees’ satisfaction levels.
“It was really rewarding to hear so many members of the community saying how much they enjoyed it,” she explained.
