BROOKLYN, N.Y. — StoryCorps, the national nonprofit organization dedicated to recording, preserving, and sharing the stories of people from all backgrounds and beliefs, has announced a stop of more than a month in Albuquerque and Taos next year.
Over the course of 2023 — which marks the organization’s 20th anniversary — StoryCorps will visit 10 locations nationwide, according to a press release. Participants will have the option of recording in-person or remotely, using StoryCorps’ free recording tools.
The nonprofit is scheduled to partner with KUNM to work in Taos and Albuquerque from March 16 through April 21.
Reservations are free and can be booked online at storycorps.org/mobile-tour. Reservations are usually available about two weeks before the Mobile Tour’s arrival in each location.
As a public service organization, StoryCorps believes that everyone’s story matters, and the Mobile Tour plays a critical role in its mission by bringing the experience to individuals and the communities where they live, according to the release. Since 2005, the Mobile Tour has recorded thousands of meaningful conversations with help from trained facilitators.
StoryCorps collaborates with local cultural institutions and community-based organizations in each region to encourage participation.
Additionally, StoryCorps partners with local public radio stations, which air a selection of the interviews recorded, with participants’ permission. In many cases, the local stations will create special programs around the project.
“StoryCorps is driven by the belief that every life and every story matters, and we are especially committed to seeking out and preserving voices that are underrepresented in the media,” said Dave Isay, StoryCorps founder and president. “The Mobile Tour makes the in-person StoryCorps experience accessible to communities in every corner of the country, helping us to build a collection of recordings that mirrors the vastness of the American experience.”
During a StoryCorps interview, two people – often close acquaintances or family members – record a meaningful conversation about who they are, what they’ve learned in life, and how they want to be remembered. A trained StoryCorps facilitator guides them through the interview process step by step, and after each 40-minute recording session, participants can access the interview through StoryCorps’ free online archive.
With participant permission, the conversation is also archived at the Library of Congress’s American Folklife Center for future generations to learn from and enjoy.
StoryCorps may also share edited versions of select interviews collected throughout the tour via its NPR broadcasts, podcast, animated shorts, digital platforms, and best-selling books.
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) is the founding partner of the StoryCorps Mobile Tour.
