Storyteller to perform in Singapore

By John Redmond

Storyteller Kim Seung-ah

Popular Korean storyteller Kim Seung-ah will perform at the annual Singapore International Storytelling Festival (SISF) from Sept. 1-9.

Since it began in 2006, the festival has attracted more than 200,000 visitors, offering key programs for a wide range of audiences, including: teachers, librarians, storytellers, social workers, community workers, professionals, performers, writers, parents and children.

The founder of the Arirang Storytelling Concert, Kim is the first featured Korean storyteller invited to take part in the SISF. And, to best showcase Korean culture through stories, she has brought together a group of Korean traditional artists to accompany her.

Kim made her debut at the 2008 Toronto Storytelling Festival as Korea’s first ever-featured storyteller.

Kim’s love of storytelling and her desire to share her fascination with traditional Korean stories with others prompted her to start the Arirang Nights of Storytelling group and Arirang Storytelling Concert, showcasing her unique style of storytelling in English.

The SISF, Asia’s longest running storytelling festival, will be held in the Arts House. This year, the festival features “Translations: Storytelling from the Word to the Voice,” and delves into the possibilities of storytelling in translation, which opens the door to a wider spectrum of audiences and frees stories from limitations in form or language.

“Showcasing the narrative verses of ‘Dastaan’ from the Indian subcontinent, musical ‘pansori’ storytelling from Korea, the three mother tongue languages of Singapore (Malay, Tamil and Chinese), as well as the importance of translating and re-telling the literary works of eminent local authors, SISF 2014 focuses on the various techniques and styles of sharing oral stories through careful and considered translation,” the organizer said in a press release.

SISF has a world-class lineup of talented storytellers from around the world to take their audiences on a journey of magical myths, fantastic folktales and exciting epics.

Participants include Katrice Horsley, National Storyteller Laureate in the U.K. (2012-2014) and co-founder of the Birmingham Storytelling Café; Kiran Singh Sirah, executive director of the International Storytelling Center in the U.S. which produces the acclaimed National Storytelling Festival; and Michael Harvey, recipient of the Major Creative Wales Award.

Pansori is the traditional Korean art form of musical storytelling, proclaimed by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage asset. At the SISF 2014, Kim will introduce audiences to the world of pansori through her storytelling performances and a workshop as part of the SISF Asian Storytellers Congress. Kim will perform two pansori stories, “Chunhyang-ga” and “Heungbu-ga” accompanied by pansori performers, Jung You-sook and Im In-hwan.

Kim will also introduce an instrumental version of pansori, “sanjo” with “geomugo” performer Lee Sunny. In addition, Kim will run a Korean book-making workshop, “My First Kimchi Story Book,” where participants will be introduced to the philosophy of kimchi-making and learn the recipe for kimchi through “The Kimchi Story.”

Book-making with “Hanji,” handmade Korean paper, will be a very special experience and participants will be able to take home memorable souvenir.

Kim will also be part of the SISF 2014 Three International Storytellers Showcases, performing a story for each theme: “The Tiger and the Dried Persimmon” with Korean traditional lullaby, for the “Song and Music” theme; “Catching Tigers with a Greased Puppy” accompanied by a Korean traditional drum, for the “Silly and Funny Stories” theme and; “The Snake Bridegroom” accompanied by romantic geomungo (Korea zither) music, for the “A Night of Tales” theme.

Today, people around the world have become increasingly interested in Korean culture, in part due to “hallyu,” the Korea pop culture boom. While K-pop has played a significant role in making Korea internationally renowned, people want to know more about Korean traditional culture. Kim’s storytelling performances share her deep knowledge of Korean traditional arts, history and food.

For more information visit https://www.facebook.com/pages/Storyteller-Seung-Ah or email: arirangstorytelling@gmail.com.