StoryFest celebrates five years of oral storytelling from Singapore and around the world

In celebration of its fifth anniversary, StoryFest will be enchanting audiences with a variety of storytelling programmes by local and  international artists. StoryFest 2021, the fifth edition of the annual storytelling festival,  is co-presented by The Storytelling Centre Limited and The Arts House, online from  20 June – 11 July. This year’s theme, ‘ReStory’, encourages audiences to appreciate  the familiar and moving moments of their lives and surroundings, and reimagine their  new stories for the future. 

StoryFest returns with a three-week long virtual line-up featuring a series of evocative talks and performances hosted across Zoom, VOD and the StoryFest YouTube  channel. To commemorate its fifth year, a specially commissioned digital picture book was produced by international storytellers and local visual artists. StoryFest 2021 brings the focus back to the way stories are told and how they have evolved across  time and space. By reconnecting with these rituals in storytelling, audiences are invited  to dive deep into the words and transform with these stories together.

Kamini Ramachandran, Master Storyteller and Creative Producer of StoryFest says  that “It gives me a great sense of achievement to be celebrating this milestone and  how far the Festival has come in these past five years. With this year’s theme,  ‘ReStory’, I want to reacquaint audiences with the transformative role of storytelling in  our lives and the rituals involved in doing so. I’m really looking forward to ‘The Book of  Tales’ as one of the highlights of this year’s celebrations. This digital book is a  testament to StoryFest providing opportunities for international storytellers and local  visual artists to create collaborative works while being distanced.” 

Stories that spring from the screens and stay in your hearts 

Awesome Adventures takes children on five different adventures with exciting tales,  featuring humans and animals on their quests of boisterous mischief. Suitable for  children aged 4 – 8 years old, this could be a fun activity for families to engage in. Be 

prepared to travel far and wide from the comfort of your homes. Journey with these  tales and celebrate curiosity from the depths of the thick African jungles in ‘The First  Music’, and learn humility in ‘Ganesha & Kubera’ with an Indian feast fit for the gods.  

The Book of Tales brings together five of our previous Asian premiere storytellers  and local artists to create five illustrated stories in a digital picture book. These stories  cater to all audiences, whether you are looking for a light-hearted tale on unexpected  friendships in ‘Edith’s Lyrebird’ or a fantastical story like ‘Shela’s Journey’, that traces  the heroine’s roots as she guides her ancestors back home. Through this digital  commission, audiences can revisit these stories for time to come and be inspired to  chart their next chapter. 

Stories of Adventurous, Bold and Courageous Heroes and Heroines 

Uncover the legends of majestic Singapura against a backdrop of storytelling,  percussive instruments and vibrant illustrations in Stories From Our Shores as you  hear how two heroes demonstrated resilience in trying times. Discover how Badang,  a struggling orphan who was tricked into slavery, breaks free and rises to become  Badang the Magnificent. Learn more about Sang Nila Utama’s roots and join Raja  Suran as he embarks on an epic adventure, in search of an elusive land. 

Experience extraordinary stories of women in ReStory: Celebrating the Feminine in  Folklore. In Vengeance is Mine, hear this chilling story of how a lovelorn pregnant  village girl transforms into a Pontianak, after dying during childbirth, to exact revenge  on the young Datuk who abandoned her. Follow a princess in Savitri: The Woman  Who Walked with Death as she accompanies Yama, the God of Death in a ruse to  revive her beloved husband. Celebrate sisterhood and empathy through toilet  confessions in the supernatural tale of The Toilet Goddess. 

Get in touch with your deepest emotions through the power of storytelling  

Learn to apply the qualities of mindfulness when telling stories and become more self aware in Mindfulness as a Tool for Effective Storytelling. Other benefits of  practising mindfulness include being calmer and more connected, improving your  listening skills and memory. 

Laughter is the best medicine for the soul and best way to connect with your audience,  especially when you’re making a persuasive pitch. In Pitching for Laughs, learn how  you can add humour to boost your presentations and speaking engagements. 

Are you curious about the different forms of puppetry and how you can include them  in your storytelling? Discover more and how you can use recycled materials to create  your own puppets in Puppets and Narratives. 

For those looking to soothe their souls and calm the mind, follow Susan Perrow, an  Australian educator and storyteller in The Healing Power of Stories and be  introduced to the art of therapeutic storytelling. Drawing upon more than fifteen years  of experience of working with children, teachers and therapists, Susan will show  participants how they can gain hope and build resilience through the restorative  benefits of storytelling. 

In Introduction to Sensory Stories, engage your senses with Joanna Grace and  explore how stories can be harnessed to create a more inclusive space to engage  children with different educational needs. These techniques can also be used by the  individual to support their daily lives such as preparing for a good night’s rest. 

Channelling Confidence and Resolving Crises 

Whether you are an aspiring performer or working professional, being able to tell well crafted stories will help in bringing our ideas alive and engaging audiences. Learn  more about the craft of storytelling in Telling Stories with Confidence. The key to  managing organisational crises lies in identifying and shaping the different types of  narratives which could go a long way in recovering a company’s reputation. Managers  and executive leaders can learn more about this in Organisational Crisis and  Storytelling. 

If audiences are interested in learning more about the rituals behind storytelling, join  StoryFest’s Creative Producer, Kamini Ramachandran in Story Talk, a series of short  conversations with storytellers where they share more about their practice. Some of  the topics include gender and mythology, storytelling and wellbeing, as well as  producing festivals during this pandemic. 

Dive deep into the insidious underbelly of Malaysia’s capital with KL Noir: Magic – Storytelling Series, presented through seven storytelling video adaptations of the  bestselling KL Noir series. Unravel the truth behind a mysterious mask-wearing cult  as a mute soldier enters its highest ranks in ‘War Dogs’, or even witness how a  conman’s victims engage the help of a Chinese shaman to exact their revenge. Be  prepared to experience some heart-stopping moments as you immerse yourselves in  the quiet stories with unexpected turns that will haunt you in new ways. 

“Putting together a festival is rarely easy, even if festivals are inherently joyful  experiences. That is especially true in these pandemic-affected times, and so we at  Arts House Limited are hugely proud of the work Kamini and her team have done to  pull together another remarkable festival for the benefit of Singapore audiences, and  of our association with and support for the event. We are very much looking forward  to experiencing another potful of glorious stories, from playful childhood tales to  sinister imaginings,” says Rupert Thomson, Director, Programming and Producing  (Venues) at Arts House Limited. 

If you are keen to find out more about the programmes, please visit storyfestsg.com.  Members of the public can also join in the conversation at:  

StoryFest 

Website: https://storyfestsg.com/2021/ 

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/storyfestsg 

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/storyfestsg/ 

The Arts House 

Website: https://www.theartshouse.sg/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theartshouse/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theartshouse

Event details 

StoryFest 2021 

Accessible online via storyfestsg.com/2021 

Dates: 20 June – 11 July 2021 

If you are keen to find out more about the programmes, please refer to this table. 

For more information, please contact:  

Rachel Chan  

Manager, Communications 

Arts House Limited  

T: +65 6435 0238  

M: +65 8511 8744  

E: rachelchan@artshouse.sg 

The Arts House  

Occupying the almost 200-year-old building that was home to Singapore’s first  parliament, The Arts House continues in the distinguished tradition of this gazetted  national monument and now plays a key role in the country’s arts and creative scene.  The Arts House at the Old Parliament, as it is affectionately referred to, promotes and  presents multidisciplinary programmes and festivals within its elegant spaces. It  focuses in particular on the literary arts, celebrating the works of written and spoken  word artists from Singapore and beyond.

About Arts House Limited  

Arts House Limited (AHL) is a not-for-profit organisation committed to enriching lives  through the arts. AHL runs The Arts House, a multidisciplinary arts centre with a focus  on literary programming located in the heart of Singapore’s Civic District; manages  Goodman Arts Centre and Aliwal Arts Centre, two creative enclaves for artists, arts  groups and creative businesses; and presents festivals through the arts centres. AHL  presents the Singapore International Festival of Arts, the annual pinnacle celebration  of performing arts in Singapore commissioned by National Arts Council.  

AHL was set up in 11 December 2002 as a company limited by guarantee (CLG) under  NAC and was formerly known as The Old Parliament House Limited. It was officially  renamed Arts House Limited on 19 March 2014.  

About The Storytelling Centre Limited  

The Storytelling Centre Limited is a non-profit organisation based in Singapore. Our  core mission is to foster and advance the art of storytelling through performances,  collaborations, artistic exchanges, mentorships, training and community outreach. The  Storytelling Centre Limited firmly believes that stories are storehouses of Singapore’s  unique multidimensional legacy. The oral traditions of folktales, mythology, legends  and fables are avenues for preserving, showcasing and developing Singapore’s rich  and diverse heritage. Our focus is on ensuring the sustainability of the art form by  nurturing emerging Young Storytellers. storytellingcentrelimited.com, @storytellingcentresg

Source: The Storytelling Centre Limited and Arts House Limited