WSU Hosts 19th Annual Storytelling Festival

OGDEN, Utah — Weber State University’s 19th annual Storytelling Festival, “Telling the American Experience,” will take place Feb. 23-25. Each year the award-winning festival features the performances of national, local and student storytellers. All events are free and open to the public.
“This is the largest youth storytelling festival in the country and the largest university-sponsored storytelling festival in the country,” said Vincent Bates, WSU’s storytelling festival chair and assistant teacher education professor. “We involve students in Davis, Ogden, Weber and Morgan school districts who get to tell their own stories.”
 
This year’s festival will feature nationally renowned storytellers Kim and Reggie Harris, Syd Lieberman, Lyn Ford and Pippa White. More than 40 regional storytellers also will share their talents.
 
Kim and Reggie Harris focus on African-American history, including topics such as the Underground Railroad. They also sing spirituals and songs of freedom.
 
Lieberman and White are acclaimed storytellers known for their historical stories. Ford is known for helping teachers tell stories in their classrooms. The stories are meant to both entertain and instruct.
 
“We call it story-teaching,” Bates said. “At this festival, there is a focus on historical storytelling and, as always, we are focusing on racial and ethnic diversity.”
 
WSU will host several events and workshops during the three-day festival:
 
Feb. 23, 11:30 a.m.
McKay Education Building
Room 16
Workshop for elementary teachers on how to use stories in the classroom, led by Lyn Ford.
Feb. 24, 12:30 p.m.
Shepherd Union
Fireplace Lounge
Annual Brown Bag Story Slam, an open-mic event where community members can share their own stories
Feb. 24, 2 p.m.
Stewart Library
Hetzel-Hoellein Room
Story symposium where Syd Lieberman and Pippa White will discuss this year’s theme, “Telling the American Experience.”
Feb. 25, 12:30 p.m.
Elizabeth Hall           
George S. Eccles Lecture Hall  
Workshop led by Kim and Reggie Harris, “Creating Stories: Timeless Structures to Enhance Your Narratives.’

Several other events will be held throughout the week in multiple locations in the Ogden area, including the WSU Davis Campus, Peery’s Egyptian Theater, the Davis Conference Center and the Ogden Eccles Conference Center.
 
“Last year I took my children to the Egyptian Theater for campfire and bedtime stories,” said Bates, who is in his first year as storytelling festival chair. “My oldest is 14 and my youngest is 5 and they were spellbound.”
 
For a complete list of festival events, visit community.weber.edu/storytelling/schedule.htm.

For high-resolution photos, visit the following links:
wsuucomm.smugmug.com/Press-Release-Photos/2015-photos/February-2015/i-jDTCNT9/0/X2/RLGeyerPhotoCredit2012-03675-2-X2.jpg

wsuucomm.smugmug.com/Press-Release-Photos/2015-photos/February-2015/i-kG2HL6B/0/X2/0_0_0_0_250_167_csupload_65426027_large-X2.jpg

Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University. 
 
Author:
Marcus Jensen, Office of Marketing & Communications
801-626-7295 • marcusjensen@weber.edu
 
Contact:
Vincent Bates, storytelling festival chair
801-626-7222 • vincentbates@weber.ed