Katie Knutson is a Professional Storyteller and Teaching Artist based in Minneapolis, MN who travels the world to tell stories and lead workshops. She has performed around the US, and in Canada, Chile, Italy, and the United Arab Emirates.

Katie provides:
- Performances for Young People and Families, including school assemblies and library programs that focus on early literacy skills and character education
- Performances for Adults and Teens that include never-intended-for-children folktales, social justice stories, historical characters, and personal tales
- Professional Development Workshops for Teachers, Librarians, Artists and Businesspeople who want to effectively use Storytelling in their Work
- Storytelling Coaching for those looking to work on specific stories, either as a group or one-on-one
- Storytelling and Drama Residencies for schools who want to make learning fun, develop literacy and critical thinking skills, address state/national standards, create excitement about writing or public speaking, or train teachers to integrate the arts into their classrooms.

Katie consistently receives excellent reviews for her workshops, residencies, and performances, and loves teaching others about the Power of Storytelling. She has received three Arts Learning Grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board to be the Storyteller-in-Residence for Bloomington Public Schools, Neill Elementary, and Folwell Performing Arts Magnet school. In addition to writing for Storytelling Magazine, Knutson has also contributed to three books – two on integrating storytelling into the classroom, and one on the future of storytelling. She mentors new Storytellers and Teaching Artists and has worked as a Teaching Artist for Stages, Stepping Stone, Park Square, Homeward Bound, and Children’s Theatre Companies in Minnesota. She is currently serving as the Executive Director of Northeast Storytelling, and has also served on the boards of Story Arts of Minnesota, Northlands Storytelling Network, National Storytelling Network (NSN) and the Youth, Educators, & Storytellers Special Interest Group of NSN.

This “enchanting and magical” performer can also provide bilingual (Spanish/English) programs. Find out more about Katie, watch videos of her in action, and more at www.ripplingstories.com.

Performance Fee: $350+

Workshop Fee: $250+

Travel: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, VT, Out of Region

Audience: PreK, Elementary, Teens, Families, Adults

Genres: Folktales, Historical Tales, Personal Stories

Performance Review:

"Katie’s presentation included lots of participation and movement. She has wonderful, expressive voices for her characters, and a very nice, friendly way with the audience. The group was with her every step of the way."
Pam Wheeler
Children's Librarian
St Paul Public Library

Residency Review:

"The stories Katie chose for our residency were great! The way she used her voice to bring them to life helped my students visualize, which is sometimes very tricky for them. Katie was great with the students and me - it was easy to teach with her. Katie is vibrant, focused, and conscientious. We have used some of the drama strategies she taught in the classroom. I look forward to another residency with her!"
Mollie Brown
Sixth Grade ELA Teacher
Folwell School, Performing Arts Magnet

Workshop Review:

"I took Katie Knutson's workshop at a Northlands Conference some years ago. The workshop was wonderful with many, many hands on activities that I used immediately with my work in elementary and middle schools. Katie is a charismatic leader who peppers her teaching with stories and humor. She utilizes an effective combination of lecture, participation, and research to arm educators and storytellers with a wealth of information and activities. I have been acquainted with Katie's work for decades and alway find her to be professional, prepared, and creative."
Jim May
Emmy Award-Winning Storyteller, Teacher, and Author