Following the success of the three editions of the Oral Storytelling Marathon organized by the Albacete Provincial Council, the institution has taken a step further and has launched its first International Oral Storytelling Festival under the name ‘¡¡Atiende!!’.
This initiative, integrated into the reading promotion program that the provincial government led by Santi Cabañero carries out through the Education and Culture Service, will run from Thursday, April 24, until June 12, and will feature different blocks of activities, totaling nearly twenty sessions.
Aimed at families, youth, and adults, these proposals seek to promote and energize reading habits among people of all ages, which necessarily involves listening to and knowing good stories, while offering new cultural experiences to the public, contributing to their personal and cognitive development.
Therefore, in addition to classic locations in previously promoted projects, such as schools, the Provincial Auditorium, or the Altozano Square, new locations have been added, such as the Chalé Fontecha, headquarters of the Albacete Studies Institute ‘Don Juan Manuel’, or the San Vicente de Paul Elderly Residence, where some of the activities will take place, enriching this adventure.
IV ORAL STORYTELLING MARATHON
The Festival will begin next Thursday, as part of International Book Day (April 23), and perfectly complemented by the activities organized for Albacete’s Book Festival.
In fact, it kicks off with the IV Oral Storytelling Marathon, included in the celebration’s program. Therefore, it will take place from April 24 to 27 at the Altozano Square, aimed at families and featuring prominent figures in this field.
Thus, Eva Andújar, who has been dedicated exclusively to oral storytelling and reader animation since 2005 with a repertoire of traditional tales and picture books, will offer two sessions (12 and 19 hours) with the stories ‘Ropa tendida’ and ‘Ratonalidades’.
On the other hand, Paula Mandarina, who has turned her passion for oral storytelling into a lifestyle through which she conveys magical stories, will surprise the audience, also in morning and afternoon sessions, with the stories ‘Volando voy, volando vengo y por el camino te cuento un cuento’ and ‘Si miras de cerca’.
And finally, Pablo Albo, who has already participated in other activities organized by the Provincial Council, with stories of his own authorship, will once again captivate the people of Albacete with ‘Cuentos de cuando el mar volaba’, in the morning.
STORIES FOR ADULTS AND INSTITUTE TOUR
In addition to this, a second block of activities includes a series of oral storytelling for adult audiences, with sessions at the Provincial Council’s Auditorium on three Thursdays in May (8, 15, and 29) at 8:00 p.m.
The opening will be by Carles García, one of the pioneers in the recovery of orality, with 40 years of experience telling stories in different countries, who will bring us ‘Cuando todos los gatos son pardos’.
It will be the Lithuanian storyteller Daiva Ivanauskaité-Brown who will bring the international dimension to this Festival, which aims to invite professionals from other countries every year, and she will do so through the story ‘The Tree of Feelings’. It will be in English and with the translation of Pablo Albo.
And the Galician Quique Cadaval will close this block. Author of his own stories, he does not rehearse them, achieving complete mastery over what he tells, and on this occasion, he will narrate ‘El complejo de Edipo’, in a ‘tragicomic’ version.
Moreover, this Festival includes a tour aimed at young audiences with the visit of these three great storytellers to Secondary Education Institutes in the province. Carles García will bring ‘Los niños tontos’ to IES José Isbert in Tarazona de la Mancha; Daiva Ivanauskaité-Brown will do the same with ‘The Tree of Feeling’ at IES Pedro Simón Abril in Alcaraz; and Quique Cadaval will share ‘Fantasmas familiares’ with the boys and girls of IES Siera del Segura in Elche de la Sierra.
SAN VICENTE DE PAÚL RESIDENCE AND CHALÉ FONTECHA
And, as mentioned, ‘¡¡Atiende!!’ will also bring oral storytelling to two very special places with Pablo Albo. On June 3, the San Vicente de Paúl Elderly Residence will host his story ‘Contar con los mayores’. Users, professionals, and family members will be able to enjoy this authentic show in line with the work that the Provincial Council does to promote active and healthy aging.
On June 5 and 12, the Chalé Fontecha will be the setting for ‘Queili’ and ‘Cuento paseado’, respectively. These two sessions, for adults, require prior registration by phone at 967 59 53 00 and extension 14733, and in the first one, active participation will be possible. An adventure that, in turn, offers the opportunity to discover this wonderful building.