Ananse Storytelling Festival from November 13-20

The 2022 Ananse SoundSplash Conference and Storytelling Festival, from November 13-20, will pay tribute to ‘Jamaica 60’ under the theme: ‘Webs of Greatness’.

Artistic Director for the event, Dr. Amina Blackwood Meeks, told JIS News that this year’s festival will be held in hybrid format.

She said that the festival “has eight legs, each one signifying the legs of the folklore, Ananse.”

The first leg is a ‘family get-together’ at Emancipation Park, New Kingston on Sunday (Nov.13) featuring storytelling, ring games and Junkanoo, starting at 4:00 p.m.

The opening gala will take place on Tuesday (Nov. 15) at the festival village located at the Kingston and St. Andrew Parish Library, Tom Redcam Avenue, starting at 10:00 a.m., where children will have the opportunity to tell stories reflecting on the country’s diverse ethnicities under the theme: ‘Our Hearts Salute Jamaica’.

Also on the day, a book titled ‘Our Children Ought to Know,’ will be launched at the Sky Gallery, 9-11 Phoenix Avenue, Kingston. The book is a collection of papers and stories that have been presented and told since 2012 when Jamaica celebrated its 50th year of Independence.

A lunch hour concert will take place on Wednesday (Nov. 16) at the festival village, which will be followed by a panel presentation on ‘Exploring the Decade of Indigenous Languages and Validating Hitherto Marginalised Voices’.

On Thursday (Nov. 17), a webinar workshop will be conducted with educators to look at the role of storytelling in delivering the National Standards Curriculum in schools.

Ananse goes to school on Friday (Nov. 18), with the Innswood High School in St. Catherine serving as the venue for a virtual storytelling fiesta, where schools from across the island will have the opportunity to participate.

On International Men’s Day, Saturday (Nov.19), an event at Liberty Hall, downtown Kingston, will focus on the influence of National Hero, Marcus Garvey, on the contribution of men to Jamaica’s development and the foundation set for future growth.

The Marcus Garvey Room at the St. Ann Parish Library in St. Ann’s Bay will be the focal point of activities for National Storytelling Day on Sunday (Nov. 20).

Students are being encouraged to join the two legs of the festival designed especially for them by logging on to the YouTube Channel and the Facebook page of the Jamaica Library Service (JLS).

The Ananse SoundSplash Conference and Storytelling Festival 2022 is being hosted in collaboration with the JLS with support from the Ministry of Education and Youth, Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education (CHASE) Fund, CIBC First Caribbean International Bank, Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), the Sky Gallery and the Social Development Commission (SDC).