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2025 Story Slam
6th Annual Story Slam
Do you have a story only you can tell? Vietnamese Boat People is thrilled to announce our 6th Annual Story Slam: My Journey — an evening of live storytelling, community, and connection.
This year’s theme: My Journey
We're looking for stories of migration, identity, love, loss, healing, or discovery — all are welcome.
Storytellers of all backgrounds are invited to step up to the mic and share their journeys.
This year we’re hosting in front of a LIVE audience in NYC at ThinkChinatown Studios!
This Story Slam is part of Our Journeys, a month-long exhibition hosted at Think!Chinatown. We encourage participants to visit the exhibition and upcoming events for inspiration and to explore the many ways our community tells its stories.
Whether you’ve told a story a hundred times or never before, this is your chance to be heard. Your voice matters. Your journey matters.
Photo Credit: Argenis Apolinario
Key Dates
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Submissions Open: September 15-Oct 4, 2025
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Submission link coming soon.
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Notification of Selection: October 9
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Live Story Slam Event: October 16, 6:30–8:00 PM, hosted by Think!Chinatown, 1 Pike Street, New York City
Guidelines for Submissions
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Theme: My Journey – stories of migration, identity, love, loss, healing, or discovery — all are welcome, whether about your own journey, your family’s, or those of your ancestors.
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Format: Spoken-word only. No reading from a script. We want to hear your story, live and direct.
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Length: 3 minutes max (about 400 words). Keep it tight, focused, and unforgettable.
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Style: True, personal stories told from the heart. We welcome every tone and style — heartwarming, humorous, dramatic, suspenseful, or anything in between.
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Age: Participants of all generations are welcome. Minimum age requirement: 18 years old.
How It Works
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Submit your story draft (no more than 400 words) and a sample video or audio clip (phone recordings are fine).
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Five storytellers will be chosen for the live event and awarded $200 each for their bravery.
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Selected storytellers will also receive feedback from our team to help polish their delivery and get stage-ready.
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.
Thank you to our Story Slam Supporters
Want to support the story slam? Contact us for sponsorship opportunities.
