Sharjah to revive tradition of storytelling at festival

Top Stories

Sharjah to revive tradition of storytelling at festival
The international storytelling festival, to be held on Al Noor Island in Sharjah, will showcase storytellers from the Middle East, the UK, Europe and Southeast Asia.

Sharjah - Al Noor Island in Sharjah is gearing up to showcase its first ever international storytelling festival

By Staff Reporter

  • Follow us on
  • google-news
  • whatsapp
  • telegram

Published: Wed 4 Jan 2017, 6:46 PM

Last updated: Wed 4 Jan 2017, 8:52 PM

The practice of storytelling is part of the tradition in the UAE and the wider GCC region, yet it is losing its sheen due to technological advances.
To revive the age-old tradition, Al Noor Island in Sharjah is gearing up to showcase its first ever international storytelling festival, to be held under the theme 'Tales on the Island' this month.
Taking place from Thursday to Saturday on three weekends from January 12 to 28, the international festival will showcase renowned storytellers from the Middle East, UK, Europe and Southeast Asia, who will offer a plethora of dreamscapes and myths celebrating traditions and cultural diversity in Arabic and English languages.
Through story walks, live music, singing, live visual art - all without the use of books, screens or even microphones - these storytellers will create magic with the power of words and music.
"Everyone, irrespective of their age, gender, social status or cultural backgrounds enjoy listening to a memorable story. The tradition of community storytelling has, however, been somewhat forgotten in the modern day world. The festival is Al Noor Island's attempt to revive the storytelling cultural movement by engaging young and adult audiences across the UAE with skilled storytellers and artists around the world," said Marwa Obaid Al Shamsi, Al Noor Island Manager.
"As millions of story lovers all over the world already know, there is no substitute for the power, simplicity, and basic truth of a well-told story. As the cultural capital of the Arab world, we in Sharjah feel every bit responsible for reviving and preserving an age-old tradition that will not only enrich our society but will contribute to the culture of storytelling around the world. For this reason, we are launching into 2017 on a high cultural note," Al Shamsi added.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com


More news from