Members of Chester’s rich and diverse international community are sharing some of their favourite children’s tales in their own language at a series of special storytelling sessions at Storyhouse.
Young visitors can enjoy enchanting tales of adventure and intrigue, told in a range of different languages from Spanish to Cantonese as part of the Storyhouse Languages initiative.
And organisers are hoping that members of Chester’s Ukrainian community, both those established here and also those who have made the city their home during the past few months, may also get involved in the project which brings together the joy of literature with the chance to experience a different language.
The 11am sessions, which take place in The Den at Storyhouse, are open to children and families.
The first Saturday of each month sees Daniela, a member of the Chester community, sharing stories in Italian.
Then on the second Saturday of each month young visitors are invited to join Sofia, a member of the library team, who reads stories in Spanish. The next session takes place on 11 June.
Meanwhile on Saturday, 28 May, join Joyce Wong, who is from Chester’s Hong Kong community, for Cantonese storytelling, activities and crafts. The event is aimed at children aged four to nine and you don’t need any knowledge of Cantonese to enjoy it.
And this summer, there will also be the opportunity to read stories, sing and chat in German with Maike from the Storyhouse library team.
The sessions are planned for Wednesdays 8 and 22 June and 6 July.
Earlier this year Chester’s multicultural community showcased the best of its diverse and unique range of cultures in the annual Storyhouse Languages festival, including events celebrating Brazilian, Hungarian, German, Spanish and Portuguese speakers.
Storyhouse creative director Suzie Henderson says:
Chester as a city is home to a lot of different nationalities, each with their own unique culture including stories and storytelling, and we see many of them here at Storyhouse both as visitors and as cherished members of our team.
Coming together to tell and listen to stories is a wonderful communal activity, a way to connect with people from different backgrounds to our own and for them to share their rich heritage with others, helping to make Chester the wonderful multicultural community that it is.
We’re really pleased to be able to offer these diverse sessions at Storyhouse, and we’d welcome members of other communities who would also like to be involved to get in touch with us too.
Find out more here.
ENDS
For more information, contact:
Nancy Davies
Marketing and PR Manager
Storyhouse
07886 743531
About Storyhouse
Storyhouse is one of the UK’s foremost cultural centres incorporating a library, theatres and a cinema. It is one of the country’s most successful arts buildings, with more than one million customer visits each year.
The pioneering new library within Storyhouse, where members of the community work alongside city librarians, boasts the longest opening hours of any UK public library and is open every day until 11pm. It runs over 2,000 sessions a year for marginalised communities
The company also runs a highly successful theatre company and the country’s most successful regional open-air theatre, in the city’s Grosvenor Park and Moonlight Flicks open air cinema.
Storyhouse currently holds the official title as the UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre and was the overall national winner in the 2018 Guardian Public Service Awards