The students at the first storytelling of 'Likkle Story Fest' enthusiastically participate in the dancing to the rhythms played by the Akwaaba drummers.
-Carlington WilmotTanya Batson-Savage, Staff Reporter
THE SECOND annual 'Likkle Story Fest' got off to a very lively start at the Institute of Jamaica, downtown Kingston on Monday morning. With young storytellers as well as professionals from Trinidad, China, and Jamaica, the start of the festival was a celebration of the universal appeal of storytelling.
The lecture hall of the Institute of Jamaica's East Street offices was filled almost to bursting with students from 17 schools. As Sydney Bartley, director of culture put it, they came from 'big school' and 'likkle school'.
The Akwaaba drummers brought the official part of the festival to a resounding end.
Organised by Ntukuma, 'Likkle Story Fest' continues through to Saturday, May 15, 2004. The 'likkle tellers' and professionals will be appearing at varying venues across the island. Venues for storytelling sessions include the Port Maria Civic Centre, and The National Arena on Friday morning.
PEAK OF EXCITEMENT
On Monday morning, the students were brought to peaks of excitement when a dancer with the Akwaaba drummers made several forays into the audience to bring up different persons to dance with her. After her first trip each successive excursion was met with hands thrust excitedly into the air as students volunteered.
The first part of the 'Likkle Story Fest' featured addresses from Billy Heaven of the Culture Health Arts Sports and Education (CHASE) fund, Hopeton Dunn of the Creative Production and Training Centre (CPTC), Wycliffe Bennett and Vivian Crawford, director of the Institute of Jamaica. The director of culture facilitated the proceedings.
Samantha Pierre, also known as 'Ma Story', was the morning's first storyteller. The Trinidadian was making her second trip to 'Likkle Story Fest'. "I was goin to wake you up but I cyan see dat you all well wake up a'ready," she told the audience which was still buzzing with the excitement from the drummers' performance.
As the name suggested, 'Likkle Story Fest' featured many of the students telling stories. According to Ma Story, who also acted as MC for the first segment of the storytelling, more than 50 students were registered to tell stories.
As such, the morning featured a wide range of tales. There were 'Big Boy' stories, 'Anansi' stories, and even a re-telling of the 'Old Lady and the Pig'.
The morning's proceedings in the lecture hall was just the start of a day of storytelling. To facilitate the numerous 'likkle tellers' the students would later break up into smaller groups.
Along with Ma Story, professional storytellers included China's Linda Fang and Guyana/Jamaica's Jean Small. Two singers from Haiti, Daniel Navarre and Johnny Desormeau, also participated in the proceedings by singing songs in French and Haitian creole.
The students eagerly participated in the stories yelling their parts and singing each new storyteller to the stage with a song they had been taught by Ma Story.
Wo- yo-yo-yooo, wo-yo-yo-yooo, Come le' we go, le we go, they sang. And off to story land they did go.
