Amina Blackwood-Meeks and Adziko Simba lead the students in a game of 'Manuel Road' after the lunch break. - Michael Sloley /Freelance Photographer THE INAUGURAL staging of the storytelling festival for children, 'Likkle Storyfest', experienced a successful start on Monday morning at the Louise Bennett Garden Theatre on Hope Road, St. Andrew.
Monday's proceedings were geared towards the eastern end of the island, with the festival making its way to the west, south and north throughout the week. The closing ceremony takes place today, at Ashanti Oasis Restaraunt, Hope Gardens.
The stories that filled the air came from both professional storytellers and the children themselves. Many of the youngsters seemed to have the makings of great storytellers, often entertaining with not only the stories, but their manner of telling. The festivities also featured impressive young drummers from the Institute of Jamaica and a fabulous performance of two stilt walkers courtesy of the L'Acado Dance Group and Zamarine Brown on recorder. What was also impressive about the event was the variety of stories featured. Although on one occasion the same tale was told by two participants, the festival featured 'Anansi' stories, poems, songs and even one story that seemed to be autobiographical.
During her speech Professor Carolyn Cooper noted that the festival was celebrating the 'art and science' of storytelling. She explained that she used science to mean 'knowledge.' Since many of the stories involved morals, it is certain that the celebration of knowledge was being explored.
Although it was originally scheduled for the neighbouring Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre, the cool stage of the garden theatre was used instead. This proved to be a very wise decision. Since the attendance of students soon overflowed the chairs set out, they were soon invited to use the floor. This only served to enhance the storytelling feel of the festival.
Over 13 schools were in attendance at the festival. Among them were Bath Primary (St. Thomas), Holy Family Primary (Kingston), The School of Hope (Kingston), Hazard Primary (Manchester), Jericho Primary (St. Catherine), New Providence Primary (Kingston), Ardenne Preparatory and Extension (St Andrew), and Pear Tree River Primary (St. Thomas).
The professional tellers for the event came from Jamaica, South Africa, Trinidad and Dominica, giving an international flavour to the stories that were told.
Noreen Joseph of Dominica told the story of 'Why the rabbit has such a short tail'. Joseph, the Senior Cultural Officer of Dominica, first told her story in Kweyol and later in English. The students sat quietly throughout both tellings, at first seeming to simply be enamoured by Kweyol and Joseph's enigmatic telling, and later by the story itself.
Nana Vuyelwa Mthimkhulu of South Africa then told the quiet tale of how the stories were taken from the sea, to be told on earth. Michael Reckord would be the next professional teller. For his turn he performed a poem about a woman who swallowed a spider and in turn swallowed a bird, cat, dog, goat, cow and finally a horse, which killed her. Poet and storyteller Adziko Simba also wove magic around the children with her story of Anansi and the yam. Simba had the students quite involved in her story, allowing them to help her tell it. Amina Blackwood-Meeks, who founded, hosted and organised the proceedings, also did her part in carrying forth the stories of the morning. She too told an Anansi story. In her case, her story explained why all stories, whether or not Anansi is involved in them, are called Anansi stories.
The Trinidadian teller, Samantha 'Ma Story' Pierre, arrived at the festival fresh from Trinidad, having come straight from the airport. She thus brought the first segment of the festival to an end with her story about the creation of day and night.
At the launch of the festival in April, Blackwood-Meeks had pointed out that part of what the festival wanted to bring home was the value of storytelling to the education process. Those who believe that storytelling being of value to education is itself a 'tall tale' need only have seen how quietly the students sat, listened, and participated.
Jack Mandora mi nuh choose none...
