Are you third generation toy industry? Did you unintentionally wind up in the toy industry? Or maybe you know someone with a fascinating toy journey that you would like to see brought to life. Whether you are a toy industry newcomer or a veteran, The Toy Association welcomes you to share your story with its “Generations of Play, An Oral History” powered by StoryCorps.
This new initiative creates the opportunity for people in the toy and children’s entertainment community to share and record their personal stories. Submissions will be narrowed down to a pool of 15 stories to be recorded, from which StoryCorps will select seven, edited down to three minutes, and archived as part of the StoryCorps national oral history project at the American Folklife Center in the Library of Congress.
“The goal of this project is to celebrate the people who have dedicated their lives to the creation of toys; to chronicle the human connection in the quest to bring joy to children of all ages,” said Marian Bossard, executive vice president of global market events at The Toy Association. “By recording, sharing, and preserving our stories, we hope to showcase the richness of our past and the promise of our future.”
Interested parties should submit personal statements and audio files for consideration. The 15 chosen interviewees will be recorded on February 22 to 24, 2020, during Toy Fair New York at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
The StoryCorps 40-minute interviews will be between two people who know each other. A trained StoryCorps facilitator will be present to help guide participants through the recording process, but the participants will steer the conversation, pose questions, and share meaningful memories and experiences. The sessions will be structured with one participant interviewing the other and participants will receive a copy of the recorded conversations. To learn more about StoryCorps, watch this video.
The Association is taking nominations now through December 6 for the first round of recordings in the toy industry’s StoryCorps series. Chosen participants will be notified on December 15 and provided with additional details to prepare to tell their stories on record.