SINGAPORE: Once upon a time — last year to be exact — storytellers converged on this small island to tell tall tales and then some. This year, they have even more stories to tell.

The second Singapore International Story Telling Fest opens today at The Arts House. This year, it is bigger and more varied; there's digital and corporate storytelling, as well as lessons in how to "make" a story.

The two-week festival features more than 23 men and women from eight countries, including Brazil, India and Thailand.

"The story is common to all arts. If there's a movie or a play production, there's a story. It's the foundation of all these art forms," said R Ramachandran, 64, the executive director of the National Book Development Council of Singapore (NBDCS), the festival's organisers.

"It is a very important, creative force."

Highlights include Sayang Singapore, a storytelling session held today and tomorrow, the International Storytellers Showcase on Aug 30 and Sept 1, and the Asian Congress of Storytellers from Sept 5 to 6.

While the art of storytelling is thought of as something for kids, Ramachandran said boundaries have been expanded to include, among other things, "corporate storytelling" by American author Evelyn Clark and Hong Kong-based photographer Edward Strokes.

James Bonnet, an American "story making" expert will talk about the art of "making" stories. Another new aspect is the inclusion of digital storytelling and Denise Atchley, co-founder of the annual Digital Storytelling Festival in San Francisco, will give a workshop on that.

"Your photos and videos are basically telling a story in a 'mute' fashion. This is a system where you take these and put them in a digital medium," said Rajat Das, 54, adviser to the council on this sub-genre. The festival is the only one of its kind in the region and it is the first time NBDCS is co-organising it with an external party, The Arts House.

Last year, an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 people attended. This year, about 50,000 to 60,000 people are expected.

Mayo Martin
mayo@mediacorp.com.sg
WHAT: SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL STORY TELLING FEST
WHEN: UNTIL SEPT 9
WHERE: THE ARTS HOUSE
TICKETS: DETAILS AT THE ARTS HOUSE BOX OFFICE or call 6332 6919 OR check www.bookcouncil.sg/sisf - TODAY/fa