What is a Story Slam?

The Story Slam hosted by Vietnamese Boat People, is an engaging live event that provides a platform and an opportunity for storytellers to share their perspective and personal stories around a specific theme. Storytellers have an allotted amount of time to share their stories using their preferred medium and format such as monologues, theatrical performances, music, art, or poetry. Click here for more. 

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How will it work? 

Participants can submit a video (no longer than three minutes), that tells a story. Five Storytellers will be invited to share their videos in a live-stream virtual event hosted by Vietnamese Boat People on May 15, 2024. Each selected storyteller will have their submission videos stream globally during the event and an opportunity to share their background, story and inspirations behind the piece.  

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Why should I participate? 

If you have a story to share or have always wanted to be a part of a community-based event to celebrate our Vietnamese history, heritage and experiences then you should participate! It's an opportunity to explore your own narrative and have it showcased in front of a live global audience and get published on the Vietnamese Boat People podcast. Plus there is a $300 cash prize and a swag bag of goodies from our sponsors. And not to mention, bragging rights to your friends and family! Check out what previous participants have to say.

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How can I help support the event?
This is a community-driven storytelling event and we would love your help to promote awareness! Please feel free to repost any of the annoucements on our social media accounts. The success of this event depends on the support of sponsors and community partners. If you are interested in sponsoring this event, please contact us for details. VBP is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization.

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What are the requirements to submit a story? 

Stories must reflect a real life experience related to the annual theme. It can be your own, or you can retell a story about someone else you know. The tone of the story can vary, tragic or funny, heavy or light, history or current. Video styles may vary and creativity is encouraged. Submissions can include interviews conducted by the storyteller, photos, props, music, etc.

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This virtual event will be open to the public to attend. All entries should be mostly in English. Other languages can be used but translation subtitles should accompany the submission. Click here to view the selected stories from previous years.

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How do I submit? 

All submissions must be entered by 11:59 pm ET on April 22, 2024.

• There is no fee to enter. You must be at least 18 years old. By submitting an entry, you agree to these terms and conditions.

• Your submission must adhere to the following:

  • Be a video no longer than three minutes. Submissions over three minutes long will not be considered.  ​

  • Must include subtitles. Contact us if you need help with this. 

  • Must not include expletive language

  • Feel free to use interviews, family photos, home videos, music, etc, however the photos need to be your own and not copyrighted material and the music should be royalty free for the purposes of this event. 

• SUBMISSION FORM OPENS 3/15

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When will the Event be held? 

The virtual event will be May 15, 2024 at 7:30pm ET / 4:30 pm PT

Selected Storytellers must be available to appear on the live event to be considered. The event will be open to the public online. If you have specific accessibility needs, please reach out to Tricia Vuong at tricia@vietnameseboatpeople.org.

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What types of stories are you looking for? 

We are looking for stories that share a Vietnamese American experience aligned to this year's theme. Below are some ideas to help prompt your thinking. These are ideas only and we want you to take this opportunity to share a story that is meaningful to you. Click here to view the selected stories from previous years.

For inspiration, tune into the Vietnamese Boat People podcast. And don’t forget to subscribe to the show (it’s free!) so you can get alerts every time a new episode drops!  We encourage you to explore and take advantage of the resources we have available on our website, such as the Journeys Map and Conversation Kit to help you get started. 
 

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Can I apply again if I submitted in previous years?

If you submitted stories in previous years and were not selected, we encourage you to re-apply! To make space for other storytellers, we are limiting submissions to only those that were not selected in previous years.

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Can my submission be over three minutes long? 

We encourage you to stay within the time limit of your video submission. During the review process priority will be given to submissions that have followed the guidelines.  

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Can I partner with a group or another person on my submission? 

Yes, you can partner on a submission. Please note that if selected, the $300 prize is per submission not per person.