As I was so involved in running workshops,
giving the keynote address and performances, I didn’t have much opportunity to
sample the other events but the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Gene
Tagaban from the US with his Raven regalia and native stories entranced
audiences. He offered quiet wisdom and a charismatic presence. Len Cabral also
of the US, brought the Anansi tales of his Cape Verdean heritage to life with
verve. Ng Kok Keong from Malaysia was a charming teller while Muriel Bloch from
France offered unique interpretations of traditional fairy tales. A pair of
gifted shadow puppeteers from the Phillipines, Amihan Bonifacio-Ramelete and
Sigmund Pecho, used gesture, their own bodies and puppets to tell their folk
tales and creation stories. I very much enjoyed a performance by local tellers,
including Rosemarie Somaiah and Blue Mountains/Singaporean teller Kiran Shah in
a memorable tandem telling.
The festival was focused around the Asian
Congress of Storytellers held in the old Parliament House,
now a glamorous and
comfortable venue. I gave the keynote address in the old council room, walking
between the green leather benches of the government and opposition towards the
public gallery. I spoke on the role of imagination in fostering empathy and
suggested that as storytellers we worked not in IT but WT—wisdom or wonder
technology. I also offered a workshop on working with thresholds in stories and
in our personal lives, and a master class on the power and peace of listening.
The feedback was extraordinary and I felt that my personal passions and
perspective were welcomed and affirmed.
The outreach program included performances
in the extraordinary libraries which are a feature of this nation. I was hugely
impressed by the UNESCO listed collection of traditional tales at the four-storey
Woodlands Regional Library—23,000 volumes. I went back to fossick through the
collection after the festival and would love to visit again. This is a culture
that values literature and story. Outreach also involved working with support
organisations. I ran a lively workshop based around story in listening and
communication for beneficiaries of the philanthropic Tan Chin Tuan Foundation.
In keeping with renowned Singaporean
efficiency, the festival was extremely well organized. As a participant I appreciated
the deep respect and care offered by Kamini, festival manager Celine Chow, members
of the Singapore storytelling association, the volunteers and all the many
others who were involved.
