FEST Conference in Glasgow sold out and programme discusses urgent and relevant themes in UK and in Europe.
FEST – Federation of European Storytellers is one of the biggest international networks that brings together storytellers and artists from across Europe and internationally once a year to discuss themes and practice. This year the host venue is Glasgow (25-27 June) and the event has sold out. The organisers of this year’s FEST Conference programme has said it wants to discuss themes that feel relevant now in storytelling, an artform steeped in traditional form but how does if address issues and urgent themes now in the UK and across the world.
The 4 organisations representing UK and jointly organising the FEST Conference this year are Village Storytelling Centre (Scotland), Adverse Camber (England), Armstrong Trust (Northern Ireland) and Tamar Eluned Williams (representing a collective of Wales based artists).
“As representatives from each corner of the UK, with our ears to the ground, we invited submissions for the programme from across Europe and received brilliant suggestions. We’ve included diverse topics and themes that our communities want to know more about and discuss, plus there’s space for new ideas and topics to bubble up during the conference through Open Space events,” said Naomi Wilds, producer and founder of Adverse Camber
Some of this year’s key discussions include gender representation in folklore, diversity in storytelling, digital storytelling and can it work, storytelling and power, innovation, underrepresented voices and languages in storytelling.
The organisers have programmed provocations, talks and workshops around diversity and representation in storytelling and who gets to share their stories and where. During the Conference there will be sessions on Gender in Storytelling with Hungarian storyteller, Boglárka Klitsie-Szabad leading a session on Women Storytellers, Narratives of Women in the Traditional (rural) Culture and Norway’s Johan Einar Bjerkem will be sharing how they have been analysing gender roles in storytelling and the models they use. Plus Maria Jungas will also share some of her experiences and learnings on working cross artform and courage to break away from traditions.
As part of the FEST Conference this year, British Indian storyteller Peter Chand will lead a provocation at this year’s FEST conference, entitled Who’s let into the dairy? to help explore the importance of widening access, asking which members of society are given spaces to tell their stories.
Peter is one of Europe’s most renowned storytellers, is a popular workshop leader, and has been one of the main programmers for England’s oldest storytelling festival, Festival at the Edge for the past 15 years.
Irish storyteller, Leanne Bickerdike will deliver a workshop at FEST that explores how Irish folklore and mythology represents the queer and LGBTQIA+ community. The workshop aims to create a safe and inclusive space where people can explore their identities, share their experiences, and learn from one another through the art of storytelling in the Irish tradition.
Representing Wales at FEST, will be Michael Harvey talking and sharing his experiences on producing and performing bilingual storytelling through his new company BANDO! and representing People Speak Up, Storyteller Ceri J Phillips taking part remotely online for a session on Earned Wisdom, which is in collaboration with Armstrong Story and Village Stories, discussing working in communities with older people.
Wales will also be hosting an evening "Eisteddfod" as part of the conference, inviting participants to share stories, songs and poems, hosted by Tamar and Michael
At the same time as the FEST Conference, will be Village Storytelling Festival in Glasgow, where Tamar Eluned Williams and Naomi Doyle will be in a conversation with Ishbel McFarlane about Mother Tongues: talking to children in minoritised languages and looking at the Welsh landscape. If you are not at FEST or Village Storytelling Festival in Glasgow, there are two free online sessions discussing the themes of storytelling for young and minority languages.
As the festival has already sold out way in advance this year, the organisers are running two free online FORUM events where storytellers and artists can join and discuss ideas and connect before the conference online. Whether or not they are attending the Conference, everyone is welcome to be part of these online conversations. Storyteller Tamar Eluned Williams and theatre maker Naomi Doyle, supported by Adverse Camber, will lead two online discussions where storytellers and artists can meet, discuss their craft, share skills, and pool resources.
The two free online FORUM events are:
June 10 – 6-7.30pm - Storytelling for Early Years
June 17 – 6-7.30pm - Little Folk and Minority Languages
Spaces are limited.
These online events are supported by Arts Council of Wales.
“Storytelling is about listening and sharing with all generations and perspectives. Our work in Northern Ireland shows how stories help bring people together and promote cultural understanding and we need those skills as much as ever. We’re looking forward to welcoming everyone to Glasgow and intensifying everyone’s enthusiasm to keep the stories flowing across all our communities,” said Liz Weir MBE, Storyteller in Residence with Libraries Northern Ireland and Armstrong Storytelling Trust.