Heritage Sandy Springs Wants To Revive Art of Storytelling

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Heritage Sandy Springs wants to re-introduce the art of storytelling to residents with a new initiative.

The inaugural Stories by the Springs will kick off next month, with the first installment set for 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, April 16.

This latest series of events will celebrate and share the ancient art of storytelling with individuals and families of all ages and backgrounds in a variety of manners, including through spoken word and performances, workshops and participatory youth sessions, the organization said in its press release.

The festival will feature nationally recognized and regionally acclaimed storytellers, professional groups, and student groups.

“As a folk art, storytelling is accessible to all ages and backgrounds,” said Heritage Sandy Springs Executive Director Carol Thompson. “The imagination and the power of the spoken word combine to spark creativity, encourage empathy and open a window into the minds of listeners. Well-told stories can teach us about other cultures, ideas, and ways of thinking, connecting the challenges of past generations with those we are facing today. In our media soaked environment, storytelling is a breath of fresh air. Since we are the “keepers” of history in Sandy Springs, we wanted to celebrate this art form by bringing together a variety of stories and tellers from our own community and beyond, encouraging individuals of all ages to preserve their unique stories and experiences.”

The afternoon festival will feature workshops and performances suitable for children as young as age two through adults. Performances will take place at multiple venues within the park site, allowing attendees to move from one stage to another, choosing the activities they find most interesting.

Stories by the Springs will be headlined by internationally known and award-winning author of children’s literature, Carmen Agra Deedy. As a storyteller, Deedy has performed across the United States and Canada including the Disney Institute, the New Victory Theater, the Folger Shakespeare Library and the Kennedy Center as well as numerous storytelling festivals including as a Featured Teller at the National Storytelling Festival. Deedy is the author of eight children’s books written in English, with two titles published in Spanish.

The festival will also feature professional storytellers Josie Bailey and Akbar Imhotep. Bailey is a native of Griffin and has over 20 years experience as a professional storyteller. Recognized for her audience engagement, Bailey creates a sense of involvement and spontaneity that is contagious. She tells popular favorites such as The Tar Baby and other Uncle Remus and traditional fables, and tales of slave times and the Old South that bring the past to life, often based on original research.

Imhotep, a 2012 Governor’s Arts & Humanities awardee, has been affiliated with the Wren’s Nest since 1985 and served as the storyteller-in-residence from 1985 to 1999. He has also been a storytelling fixture for Zoo Atlanta and a resident puppeteer at the Center for Puppetry Arts. He is best known for his telling of fables and interactive children’s performances.

Group performances will be presented by the Kennesaw State University Tellers, an undergraduate storytelling troupe sponsored by the university’s Department of Theatre and Performance Studies. The KSU Tellers present funny, trying and true personal stories about growing up and looking forward.

Piccadilly Puppets, a nonprofit touring puppet theater based in Atlanta will present the puppet show, Cherokee Tales. Presented in storytelling styles, the show introduces audiences to Georgia’s early inhabitants – the Cherokee Indians.

Adult workshops on oral history and the importance of preserving your own story for future generations will be presented by Anne V. Wallace. Wallace, a retired librarian and former teacher has been actively researching her family since 1989. Currently she volunteers teaching and organizing storytelling classes and events in Georgia and for the National Storytelling Network. Wallace regularly presents storytelling and genealogy programs at state, local and national conferences, presenting the close connection between storytelling and genealogy.

The Storytelling Festival is presented through a partnership with Mt. Vernon Presbyterian School, where student storytellers will share stories of “Unsung Heroes in Sandy Springs” as part of a national project that explores unique individuals from history by utilizing primary and secondary research.

The school will also bring the children’s novel Wind in the Willows to life with a student performance. Festival attendees can watch the adventures of Toad, Mole, Rat and Badger as they stop the Weasels from taking over Toad Hall. The young performers will share excerpts from this wonderful story loved by all, because “there is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.”

Student performers from Act 3 Productions will also perform as part of the Festival. Talented middle and high school youth from “Possibly French”, Act3’s improvisational comedy troupe, will present short-form, audience participation games based on storytelling elements and a long-form narrative improvisation based on audience suggestions.

Stories by the Springs is presented free of charge thanks to support from a grant through the city of Sandy Springs. The festival will be held at Heritage Sandy Springs, which is at 6110 Bluestone Road.

For more information, visit www.heritagesandysprings.org, call 404-851-9111 ext. 4 or e-mail events@heritagesandysprings.org.

Photo: Carmen Agra Deedy. Credit: Heritage Sandy Springs