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Sharjah / Emirates Business
Storytelling, theatre and colour were the theme of the recent performance at the International Storytelling Festival, which is taking place at Al Noor Island, Sharjah’s popular tourist and recreational destination. Titled ‘A Palette of Stories’ the activity hosted, Italian directors Paola Balbi and David Bardy, British storyteller Michael Harvey, Singaporean narrator Kavina Ramachandran and Palestinian artist Farah Nasraoui.
Blending storytelling in its traditional style with art, music and theatrical performances, the narrators delivered an exceptional artistic experience in front of a large audience of families and visitors to Al Noor Island. Each of the storytellers recited tales that conveyed moral messages about nobility, beauty and love, with artist Farah Nasraoui expressing the essence of the stories through talented artistic renderings.
‘A Palette of Stories’ started with a tale ‘Why We Love Stories,’ which was performed by Paola Balbi, David Bardy and Egyptian theatre actor Lamia Tawfiq. The performance dealt with the relationship between truth and story, with the narration expressing the idea that truth and story were physical characters who were friends. However, while story enjoyed being greeted and welcomed, truth was never afforded the same privilege. Truth therefore decided to ask for help from story to solve the problem.
“Hosting the International Storytelling Festival at Al Noor Island in Sharjah confirms the vision and mission of the island to be a family destination and one that combines culture with entertainment, thereby providing children of all ages with important values. ‘A Palette of Stories’ brought tales from around the world to life, with the festival part of our programme to play an integrated role that blends tourism with a cultural vision.” Said Marwa Obaid Al Shamsi, Al Noor Island Manager.
“Storytelling as an art has faced serious challenges ever since the advent of television and more recently, social media. Our role as storytellers is to hold this festival around the world and to showcase tales sourced and inspire by our shared human heritage. We travel the globe to revive the storytelling culture movement and aim to keep this important tradition alive by providing opportunities to artists and talented narrators from different countries to play a role,†said Italian director Paola Balbi.
The International Storytelling Festival continues at Al Noor Island until January 28, with the event showcasing renowned storytellers from the Middle East, UK, Europe and Southeast Asia. With recitals in Arabic and English, each performance is an evocative recital that celebrates the culture and traditions of a certain part of the world.