Storytelling sessions are a wonderful way to share the joy of books and timeless tales that have been passed down from generation to generation. A good story has enormous power to transport you from the daily grind to the wonder of childhood. Let your imagination run wild at StoryFest Online from July 17 to 27, as the annual storytelling festival takes over the virtual world with all your favourite classics and lesser-known gems.
Held every year in the month of June at The Arts House, StoryFest celebrates the various styles, repertoire, and cultural arts from Singapore and around the world through live performances. This year, its fourth installment goes digital by bringing stories to life through the oral tradition instead.
Centered around the theme of 'The Heart of Story', the digital version features local storytellers taking audiences on an odyssey into the essence of stories that run a gamut. Gather the fam and cosy up for a range of stories from the ancient annals of The Sejarah Melayu to the archetype of the shapeshifting fox in The Heart of Story: The Singapore Showcase. Journey from the lush jungles of the Indonesian peninsula to the scorching deserts of Persia in A Dance of Stories: The Young Storyteller’s Showcase.
Sit alongside your young storytellers in The Story Tree for fantastical stories of children battling an invasion of swordfish, and a peach-sized boy who fights against Japanese ogres. Plus, you might even discover the secret name of this tree. Then let the children fall in love with the adventures of Peter Rabbit, Little Red Hen, and the Teddy Bears that you once loved in Story Picnic.
For some tips and tricks, navigate through the art of storytelling with workshops by the pros. Take some notes on using animal figures in stories with Dr. Nazry Bahwari in Tales with Tails. Discover the fundamentals of a good narrative with Anna Ong in How to Tell Personal Stories for a Story Slam. Learn how to use a meditative approach to personal narratives with Chan Shu Yin in Mandala Storytelling: Exploring Nature & Pyrography. And step into the whimsical world of puppetry with Frankie Malachi in A Puppeteer’s Journey.
Whether you're catching up with friends or reading your little ones to bed, storytelling is all around you. For more enlightening and powerful stories from across Singapore and beyond, sit tight and tap into your imagination for StoryFest Online. Join in the conversation on StoryFest's Facebook and Instagram pages. For a complete list of programmes, visit storyfestsg.com.
