The StoryFest: International Storytelling Festival Singapore will be returning this weekend from 21 to 24 June 2019 and celebrating the theme of “Make Believe”, the festival, running into its third edition, is set to create the spark for audiences to activate their imagination through storytelling, and encouraging them to actively create their own meaning through the stories told.
This year’s local commissions – The Singapore Showcase: Make Believe features six local storytellers from different professional backgrounds, with each one telling stories related to the Nusantara region, demonstrating how the connection audiences feel to their roots can extend beyond their ethnicities, to the region they grew up in.
Catch seasoned storyteller and theatre practitioner, Verena Tay, who will be telling The Holy Banyan investigating how it became a revered icon in the Nusantara region. Dawn Lau, a storyteller mentored directly by Kamini Ramachandran, will explore the concept of “Daulat” through stories about the sultans of early Singapore. Theatre practitioner, Grace Kalaiselvi, will present the Indonesian folk tale of Dewi Kadita in Goddess of the Sea. Museum docent, Hafiz Rashid will narrate Syair Sinyor Kosta, the tale of a Portuguese seafarer and his love for Layla Mayang, the Malay lover of a Chinese merchant. Editor Mrigaa Sethi, known for her personal storytelling and spoken word performances, has chosen to share favourite stories through Krishna’s Unusual Adventures. Arts correspondent Akshita Nanda, will be performing the story of Shiva and Shakti, exploring the powers of male and female divinity.
The Young Storytellers Showcase: The Wings of Love, will similarly be a celebration of Asian mythologies, exploring how our history goes beyond 700 years and both headlining showcases places an emphasis on the storytellers’ shared identities as migrants and regional ethnic people.
Athena Wee who acted in movies such as Vidsee’s Queen of Hearts, will be performing the tragic Chinese love epic, The Butterfly Lovers. Sharvesh Leatchmanan, who played the role of Nevin in Tanglin, will delve into traditional Indian mythology and explore the illusion of time. Trained in singing and the piano, Kira Lim will transport audiences with her operatic rendition of the folksong Arirang as she tells a Korean tale of separated lovers. A seasoned performer, Charlotte Lau will be returning to StoryFest for her second year in 2019, enlightening us on the origins of a lake in Vietnam through the tale of a feisty princess. Also not new to StoryFest is Wang Shao Kai, who originally worked as a Marketing Assistant in the first edition of StoryFest. This time, he will be returning to perform a Tibetan story of the talking corpse, inspired by a tale he heard recently in Nepal.
Storyfest 2019 also promotes knowledge and intercultural exchange between local and overseas storytellers, by showcasing extraordinary storytellers and stories from around the world to the local audience, and vice versa. Four international artists will be presenting their works, individually and as part of A Night of Magical Myths: Festival Closing Showcase, and offers them an opportunity to watch local storytellers performing their stories in their respective showcases.
The Festival marks the Asian premieres of Reflecting Fridas: The Life of Frida Kahlo and Gilgamesh, by Ana Lines and David Novak respectively. Brazilian storyteller and chairperson of the Stafford Knot Storytelling Club Ana Lines, explores the complicated story of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo with Reflecting Fridas: The Life of Frida Kahlo, navigating how Frida’s struggles through love, injuries and suffering contributed to her art. David Novak, a recipient of the Circle of Excellence Award from the National Storytelling Network USA, uses his background in theatre arts to help him bring the ancient Sumerian epic, Gilgamesh, to life. Martina Pisciali, who trained as a Young Storyteller under the mentorship of Raccontamiunastoria in Rome, will be presenting The Journey of a Young Storyteller, sharing her development as a storyteller through the years
In addition to a variety of local commissions and international performances, StoryFest 2019 is also set to feature a series of applied storytelling workshops and free, interactive programmes that are suitable for both adult and family audiences. Don’t miss a weekend of mystery and intrigue, as you set foot into these fantasy worlds limited only by your imagination. Get your tickets here on Peatix today.
