Dozens of performers from around the world are in Toronto for a celebration of stories at the 31st annual Storytelling Festival. It’s a ten day event to literally, spread the word. Rebecca Melville, spokesperson for the festival says there will be a diverse international roster this year.
“Artists are also flying in from other provinces, the USA, England, Korea, Italy, and even remote Northern Ontario (which I include here because it’s harder to get someone her from there than it is to get them from overseas). There are also many from right here in Toronto.”
Storytelling as Performance Art
Many of the performers combine their stories with music. There are stories for children and families while others are aimed at young and older adults. Melville says storytelling is an important art form.
“A well-written book is a wonderful thing, and so is a well-told story. When told by an artist, stories create other worlds and invoke important emotions. People connect through stories, through the shared experience and ideas. Storytelling as an art should be as highly valued as an acclaimed novel.”
Oral Tradition has Modern Revival
Melville says the oral tradition of sharing stories is becoming popular once again. “Storytelling is an ancient art form that is currently experiencing a modern revival. Many of our artists have started or are in the process of starting their own Festivals around the world. This includes in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Edmonton, England, Korea and Italy. Our own Festival has been successful in attracting many visitors from Toronto and beyond.”
But performers won’t be just reading off the page, Melville says there is a real art to storytelling. “Some tell tales from oral tradition, some tell wisdom tales, some have blended their own stories with older stories, some stories are original and modern in style and some are personally created from storytellers’ own lives," she says.
Storytelling Connects Generations
Surprisingly, despite the use of computers, storytelling remains resilient, according to Melville. "Oral traditions such as telling children bedtime stories are going strong. The digital age has evolved oral tradition – think of all the instructional videos on YouTube. We can’t say if there is a loss of any oral tradition, all we can say is there seems to be an evolution," sh says.
"Personally, I think storytelling as an art form is experiencing a revival because people feel alienated from each other in this increasingly digital age. A well-told story can pass on wisdom, or create laughter, or stimulate the imagination. Like nothing else, a story can create a connection between individuals that many feel is missing from modern life, digital or not.”
Toronto’s Storytelling Festival runs from March 27th to April 5th 2009. For more information, visit www.torontofestivalofstorytelling.ca
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