TEHRAN- The 26th International Storytelling Festival has dedicated a special award to works with sacrifice and resistance themes, the organizers have announced.The special award in the international section of the festival, set for its upcoming edition, will be dedicated to works with resistance themes and in support of Gazan and Lebanese children, Alieh Qavami, the secretary of the festival, said during a press conference in Tehran on Tuesday."This year's festival features international participants, a significant boost compared to previous years," Qavami stated.Over 34,000 submissions have been received this year, a substantial increase from previous years, with 25 participating countries now compared to last year's 14.The festival will welcome 15 foreign guests, showcasing a diverse array of storytelling talents.
The main theme for this year's festival focuses on supporting children in Gaza and Lebanon, along with a special section dedicated to sacrifice and resistance, she mentioned.The city of Yazd, which has established itself as a successful venue for the festival, will once again serve as the host of the event, and its reputation as a global hub for storytelling is being solidified by the upcoming festival, the secretary noted.As a result, Yazd has been designated as the capital of storytelling, she said.She noted that the festival has expanded from four storytelling categories to 13, emphasizing the importance of making the event more accessible and inclusive for the public.Additionally, a mobile theater will be set up in Yazd to enhance audience engagement, she concluded.For his part, Hassan Sadrai Aref, the secretary of the international section, highlighted the universal nature of storytelling, mentioning that the international category was added to the festival in late autumn.Notable submissions for the festival, totaling 70 works from 25 countries, have been narrowed down to 50 selected entries following a thorough judging and evaluation process.
This year's lineup will feature 15 talented storytellers from Italy, Lebanon, Tanzania, Syria, Thailand, India, Niger, Congo, Japan, and Brazil, set to take the stage.In a highlight of this edition, renowned storyteller Sara Kassir from Lebanon will engage in both workshops and performances, bringing her wealth of experience to share with festival attendees, he added.During his address at the conference, Hamed Alamati, director of the Iran's Institute for Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults (IIDCYA), emphasized the importance of storytelling as a potent tool for organizing knowledge and information, underscoring its unique ability to engage and convey complex ideas in a compelling manner.The storytelling embodies a profound cultural approach that transforms content into message.He further explained that this year marks a quarter-century of the storytelling festival, and over the years the event has expanded its outreach beyond children and teenagers to include grandparents, thereby enriching the storytelling narrative."We consider it our duty to utilize storytelling as an educational tool.
We believe that it should be incorporated into educational packages, and even specific curriculum topics can be connected with storytelling," Alamati added.This year, the festival also includes themed storytelling, with storytellers being sent to venues such as hospitals and childrens educational centers during special occasions.He noted that the priority lies in the content over form in storytelling, stressing that the essence of the story matters more than its presentation.Regarding the festivals diverse sections, Alamati mentioned the inclusion of traditional, classic, modern, and innovative storytelling, as well as podcasts, minimalistic storytelling, 90-second tales, and additional categories such as poetic, environmental, religious, scientific, and heroic stories.He added that this year saw 34,000 submitted stories, with 600 selected for the national section, ultimately narrowing down to 98 stories that reached the final evaluation stage.Continuing, he noted that this festival is one of the oldest of its kind, with significant storytelling events around the globe.
However, the Institutes festival is among the most inclusive, as stories emanate from the alleys and byways of Iran, rich in tradition.
He expressed the hope that the media will support better awareness surrounding this event.The 26th edition of International Storytelling Festival will be held in Yazd, from February 15 to 18, with the motto The Secret of Stories Shapes Life.SAB/