If you love stories and walking, you’ll find a lot of both at StoryFest 2023. The annual festival is back with a new format that lets you explore the Civic District through an outdoor storytelling experience called Story Walk.
Story Walk, presented by Arts House Limited (AHL) and The Storytelling Centre Limited (TSCL), is a guided walk along the riverside that features three art benches from the Benchmarks public art trail. The art benches, created by local artists, are part of a placemaking initiative by the Civic District Alliance to spice up the arts and culture precinct.
As you walk from one art bench to another, you will hear stories that are inspired by the artists’ concepts and the history of the district. The stories are crafted by local author Verena Tay, who mixed historical facts with fictional elements. The storytellers who will lead the walk are Wesley Leon Aroozoo, Laura Kee and Hafiz Rashid, and they will share stories ranging from hilarious adventures in rice warehouses to tales of sailors who lived on the water.
“Story Walk is an artistic response to remember the many storytellers who sat by the River and shared tales. I would like our participants to become curious about the stories that reside within the walls of monuments and in the forms of artworks. Slow down, listen and discover,” StoryFest Creative Producer Kamini Ramachandran said in a press release.
The walk will end at The Arts House, where you can join a paper craft activity with original prints by local artists Victor Emmanuel and Stellah Lim. You can design your own art bench souvenir with linocut prints of river otters for kids or wood grain patterns for adults, based on your Story Walk experience.
Story Walk will be held on Oct. 6 and 7, with two sessions each day for an hour each. The morning session is for families with children (ages 6-8), while the evening session is for general audiences. Tickets are available for purchase now at S$10 each, with limited slots per session. To book your tickets and for more information, visit the event’s official website.
