SHARING THE FIRE

Raising the Roof: Different Voices, Collective Power

Friday, March 22 - Sunday, March 24, 2024

In-person at The Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside Hotel

250 Market St 

Portsmouth, New Hampshire 03801

We are excited to return to Portsmouth in-person this year with a vibrant array of stories, workshops, and presenters. This truly incredible line-up will provide professional development for anyone who wants to become a better storyteller, whether you are using stories at work, at home, or on the stage. Our conference will also deepen joy and connection for story listeners and story lovers. Please join us to Raise the Roof as we join our Different Voices together to embrace our Collective Power. 

NEST Members get a discount to Sharing the Fire

If you are not a NEST member, you can join now and get conference discounts immediately. You will also receive member benefits and support our storytelling community.

NEST Members, please log in before registering to receive member rates.

NEST Membership: $55 per year

For everyone’s protection, we will be continuing our COVID Policy. This year, we are requiring vaccinations, rapid tests, and masks if requested. Read the full Covid Policy. You will be asked to indicate agreement to follow this policy as part of registration.

Registration does not include hotel fees. We have steeply discounted rates at the hotel through our conference. Please use our Hotel Information Page to see your special Sharing the Fire price and reserve your room!

Full conference registration includes breakfasts if you register by March 11, 2024. Not all packages below include breakfast so make sure to read descriptions carefully. There is an optional catered lunch available as an add-on to anyone on Saturday (details below) with a registration deadline of March 11, 2024. For dinners, you can enjoy your choice of incredible local restaurants within walking distance of the hotel. Stay tuned for information about our traditional STF Friday night/Shabbat dinner potluck open to all.

For information on getting to and around Portsmouth, including parking information: click here.

Anyone who registers can add on the following, which are not included in any of the packages:

• A Pre-Conference Intensive Workshop for $95 (Members), $110 (Regular), $75 (Students)
  • Big Body Stories and the Art of Improvisation presented by Masankho Banda
  • Transforming a Personal Story into a Healing Story presented by Lani Peterson
  • The Elephant in the Room: An Interactive Exploration of Storytelling and Social Justice presented by Denise Page, Simon Brooks, and Joy Kelly Smith
• Saturday Lunch for $30 - this is optional, but recommended, as the hotel restaurant cannot accommodate all our conference attendees. This is a discounted rate for the catered meal that will feature vegetarian, chicken, and gluten-free options. Lunch add-on only available through March 11, 2024. If you have additional dietary requests, please email nestorytelling@gmail.com

Online registration is closed. Please register on-site

This is our all-access pass. It includes:

• Keynote by Eleanor Reissa
• In-person workshop
• Virtual Track workshops
• All main-stage performances: Eleanor Reissa, Charlotte Blake Alston, and the Olio (curated show featuring multiple tellers)
• Recordings of main-stage performances, keynote, and online workshops available for viewing post-conference for four weeks after they are posted
• Fringe performances
• Story swaps in-person and online
• Mingling event
• Saturday and Sunday breakfast

Full conference does not include Friday intensives, lunches, dinners, parking, or lodging.

Full-Conference Fees (includes Sat & Sun breakfast if you register before 3/11)

Regular: $395
NEST Members - after February 27: $320
Full-Time Students: $125

Online registration is closed. Please register on-site

Friday Only - Performance & Swap

Regular: $30
NEST Members: $20
Students: $10

Saturday Only - All workshops, performances, keynote, & swaps (meals not included)

Regular: $245
NEST Members: $185
Students: $50

Sunday Only - Performance and workshop (meals not included)

Regular: $110
NEST Members: $90
Students: $25

Online registration is closed. Please register on-site

This is a performance-only track for those who attend in-person, and includes all performances, fringe performances, and keynote. Workshops are not included in this option.

Stories Galore with Saturday and Sunday Breakfasts (Must register by March 11,2024)

Regular: $240

NEST Members: $195 

Students: $115

Stories Galore without Breakfasts 

Regular: $165

NEST Members: $125 

Students: $50

Sharing the Fire (STF) is best enjoyed in person, but we understand that not everyone can make it to Portsmouth, NH. We offer the Virtual Track as a way to enjoy some of the quality programming offered at STF from afar. 

The Virtual Track includes:

• Live-streaming from the Ballroom: Keynote with Eleanor Reissa, and performances by Eleanor Reissa, Charlotte Blake Alston, and the Olio (juried show)
• Three online fully-interactive workshops in partnership with Artists Standing Strong Together (ASST), specifically tailored for our virtual audience

Regular: $145

NEST Members/ASST Affiliates with code: $95 

Students: $55

Recordings of the above events will be available for viewing for full conference and virtual ticket holders for four weeks from when they are posted following the conference. In-person workshops will not be live-streamed or recorded.

Online registration is closed. Please register on-site

This pre-conference performance event will include performances of: 

• The Desrick on Yandro by Lynne Cullen with music by Kurt Kish, and 
• Myth America by Milbre Burch. 

Thursday, March 21 at 7pm

Individual Tickets: $10 or FREE with Stories Galore or Full-Conference Registration

All proceeds from this event will go towards the 2025 Sharing the Fire Scholarship Fund.

Online registration is closed. Please register on-site

Want to come to one of the Main-Stage Performances only? Tickets for Eleanor Reissa’s Friday Night Performance, Eleanor Reissa’s Saturday Keynote, Charlotte Blake Alston’s Sunday Performance, and the Saturday Night Olio featuring several storytellers are each available for sale as single tickets. We are offering online pre-sale/will-call tickets. Book Online by March 18 and save $5 per ticket. 

Tickets will also be sold at the door. 

Please note that the COVID policy also applies to individual performances.

Each Main-Stage Performance Ticket

Regular: $25

NEST Members: $15

Students: $5