Kootenay Storytelling Festival — From Bard to Beat: Music and Storytelling Intertwined
By Contributor
The 2015 Kootenay Storytelling Festival — a weekend of performances for every age in Nelson, British Columbia, from September 25-26 — is coming.
Friday’s opening night features short stories from all of our 2015 tellers. One of the highlights of the 2014 festival, the evening is sure to whet your appetite for full length stories the next day.
Saturday, the beloved local bard and former Cultural Ambassador of Nelson, Lucan Myers has performed across Canada as well as touring internationally. As a storyteller, he creates work which is accessible, thought provoking, and highly theatrical.
A freelance journalist who grew up in Nelson and now lives in Vancouver, Niko Bell pursues a passionate love of narrative non-fiction storytelling. Having spent over two years living in China, Bell now uses his Chinese language abilities to open up contemporary Chinese culture to Canadian eyes.
A storyteller for over 40 years, Dan Conley learned the craft by listening to the tales of the farmers, loggers and woodsmen he grew up with in the mountains of northeast Washington.
The musician/storyteller team of Tobia Gray and Barry Gray are also, respectively son and father. Barry was the founding storyteller of the Kootenay Storytelling Festival and has told at every festival since its inception in 1999. In “The Apprenticeship of a Politician” they take a tour of Kootenay West, revealing events and places with a unique blend of oral storytelling, song craft, and musical collaboration.
Together, Alyne Galm and John Galm explore the storytelling traditions of far off places through world music, poetry, and transformational storytelling.
Diana Cole tells a personal story about what happens when governments discriminate against and mistreat their citizens because of race and ancestry.
Shayna Jones brings folktales to life, incorporating singing, movement and rhythm. She uses storytelling to convey wisdom and life lessons that not only entertain but strike the heart.
The 2015 Kootenay Storytelling Festival will close with a special meeting of the KOOTENAY STORYTELLING GUILD, open to all. A welcoming and safe environment for new and experienced tellers to share stories, the Kootenay Storytelling Guild invites you to join the circle of tellers and find the storyteller within yourself.
The Kootenay Storytelling Festival promotes the art of storytelling in the Kootenay Region of British Columbia through an annual storytelling festival in Nelson.
Full schedule and ticketing information is available online at www.kootenaystory.org
Friday Night: $10. Available at the door only.
Saturday Day Pass: $20 Regular, $10 Children under 12. Available in person at Otter Books or at the door.
Individual Set: $10 Adults, $5 Children (under 12). Available day-of at the door.
Saturday Night: By donation.
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