Kootenay Storytelling Festival returns to Nelson
By Contributor
There are stories for adults.
Stories for families, stories in French, and more.
The Kootenay Storytelling Festival presents a weekend of storytelling that will take you from the roots to the stars.
Now located in Nelson, British Columbia, the 2013 Kootenay Storytelling
Festival will be held from September 20-22.
A beloved Procter event since 1999, the Kootenay Storytelling Festival moved into Nelson in 2012, bridging the transition with one day in each community.
Fully in Nelson in 2013, the Kootenay Storytelling Festival is expanding, growing towards an event of national recognition while honouring its roots in the community.
ALL-STAR OPENING NIGHT CONCERT
The Festival opens with a concert featuring multiple award-winning writer, broadcaster, and cultural entrepreneur, Jowi Taylor and his internationally acclaimed project Six String Nation.
Conceived in 1995, Six String Nation took eleven years to bring to life.
Centred around a single acoustic guitar – nicknamed Voyageur and built from more than 60 pieces of Canadian history representing different cultures, communities and characters from every part of the country – the project combines Jowiʼs fascinations with music, media, community engagement, and the dynamics of Canadian history and multicultural
identity.
A mingling of stories and music, the concert features Jowiʼs acclaimed
performance, as well as contemporary guitarist Paul Landsberg playing Voyageur and teasers from our featured storytellers that will set the stage for the weekend.
Rounding out the concert are sets from beloved local favourites Trio Voyage and Lalin.
An acoustic trio of master musicians Paul Landsberg, Doug Stephenson, and Don Macdonald, Trio Voyage interprets music from around the world; a mix of tradition and improvisation, each performance is a unique experience for the listeners and performers.
Trio Voyage is joined by Allison Girvan and Laura Landsberg. As a special treat, the evening also features Allison Girvanʼs choir Lalin. Composed of the older members of Corazon, Lalin awes listeners with their close harmonies and complex arrangements.
STELLAR LINE-UP OF STORYTELLERS
The weekend line-up is truly incredible. Weaving sign language and a dizzying array of string figures into her bilingual shows, Anne Glover has enchanted audiences for over two decades, inspiring a whole generation with her fine audience rapport, quick wit, and ability to bring characters to life out of thin air.
A simple shoelace will never look the same! Haida singer, storyteller, and drummer, Kung Jaadee has performed for hundreds of audiences across Canada and parts of the United States for nearly 20 years at festivals, schools, museums, aboriginal celebrations, and conferences.
Shoshana Litman is an ordained Maggidah, a Jewish storyteller, speaker, and teacher. Drawn from Jewish and world sources as well as her vivid imagination, her stories and songs inspire listeners to awaken to the joys of life. Astrophysical “gossip columnist”
Jaymie Matthews unveils the hidden lifestyles of stars by eavesdropping on “the music of the spheres.”
Prof. Matthews is a world-leading expert in the fields of stellar
seismology, exoplanetary science, and astronomical instrumentation and time series analysis.
Magpie Ulysses is a dynamic performance poet and storyteller, known for
charming and slaying her audiences with intense stage presence and thoughtful insights about humanity.
Plus beloved local tellers Corky Evans (who logged for 20 years, did politics for 20 years and is now learning to grow potatoes), Barry Gray (who has been with the festival since its inception meeting in 1998) and Nelson History Theatreʼs Richard Rowberry (who has worked as a theatre artist and arts administrator throughout his life).
The Kootenay Storytelling Festival is presented by The Kootenay Storytelling Festival Society and is supported by Canada Council and Canadian Heritage. Additional support comes from the Osprey Community Foundation, Columbia Basin Trust, and the City of Nelson.
School shows are supported by Fortis BC, Columbia Power, and BC Hydro.
The Kootenay Storytelling Festival runs from September 20-22, 2013. The full schedule is available online at kootenaystory.org.
Venues include The Capitol Theatre, Expressions, and The Legion. Festival Passes now available at Otter Books. Concert
Tickets available at the Capitol Theatre. Individual tickets available at the Festival.
Opening Night Concert: $20 Regular, $12 Students
Festival Passes: $20 for one day or $35 for two!
Individual Shows: $8 Adults/ $5 Children (under 12)
