Every year since 2001, a group of Vancouver storytellers, joined by peers from across Canada and the USA, have gathered to tell a long story — one that takes 2-3 days in the telling, thus getting deeply involved with a number of Vancouver’s cultural communities.
2001 – The 1001 Nights
2002 – Journey to the West, Adventures of the Chinese Monkey King
2003 – The Mabinogion (Wales)
2004 – Kalevala (Finland)
2005 – Stories of Powerful Women Worldwide
2006 – Boktu-kirish and Bora-sheelei (Tuva) and parts of The Tibetan Gesar
2007 – The Fiana Cycle (Ireland)
2008 – Ramayana (South Asia)
2009 – Persian stories – excerpts from Shahnameh, Haft Paykar, Conference of the Birds
2010 – Sundiata (Mali)
Based on these experiences it has become clear that there is a real appreciation and audience for these stories, and that the different cultural communities accessed have delighted in hearing their Epic stories being told. In the words of one Finnish listener : “We studied the Kalevala in school but is was always a bit dry. You have brought it to life for us!”. After hearing the Ramayana, a woman from India said: “I am so glad my children have been able to hear our story told in English.”
Epic 2011 is booked for April 8-10, 2011, at the Waldorf School in North Vancouver. Story TBA. For more information, stay tuned to the e-list.
