Storytelling Festival | 2018-19

“People think that stories are meant to be for kids…but it’s not so. In the old times traditional stories targeted adult audiences and were used by the senior members of the community to pass on knowledge, values and experiences. This Festival, in line with the other major Storytelling Festivals of the international scene, aims to be an opportunity for the contemporary audience to be exposed to the enriching experience of listening. We hope that people will walk out of our performances feeling encouraged and inspired to go back and discover once more the treasure of the oral tradition.” – Paola Balbi, Festival Director

“Tales on the Island” – the International Storytelling Festival on Al Noor Island, Sharjah is the only event of its kind in the UAE and GCC dedicated to the oral tradition and the art of storytelling.

Conceptualized and curated by Paola Balbi and Davide Bardi, leading performers and personalities of the Storytelling Revival in Europe, and artistic directors of Italy based Raccontamiunastoria Storytelling Company, the festival is a multicultural celebration of traditions with live performances by regional and international tellers and musicians.

The festival was founded in 2017 and ran three years in a row. Each year it brought to the UAE acclaimed master tellers, creating a rare opportunity for the contemporary audience to re-connect with the rich heritage of traditional stories from around the world.

“The Indian oral storytelling tradition is ancient. From the Puranas to epics like the Mahabharata and Ramayana, fables from the Panchatantra, Jataka and folk tales from across India…we have an endless collection of stories and these are the stories I love to tell. I see traditional stories as a medium to connect with my roots, culture and identity. The art of storytelling is a way to keep these stories alive and disperse them far and wide. As traditional storytellers, we are ambassadors of our culture.”