From 9 to 12 June in Västerbotten, Sweden
The annual Federation for European Storytelling Conference is the biggest meeting of its kind, a unique and diverse gathering of storytelling professionals from all over Europe and beyond. Attended by Representatives of National and Regional Storytelling Groups, Storytelling Trainers, Festival Organisers, Promoters, Education Specialists, Storytelling Professionals and Funding Experts, this is the European storytelling networking opportunity.
Whether you are a national or regional organisation, international festival or educational institution in the field of storytelling – this is the place for you !
FEST promotes the mobility of ideas and collaborations in and across Europe.
By offering mechanisms for sharing, learning, advocacy and relationship building, it wishes to empower the world of storytelling.
FEST is an international non-profit organisation (INPO) based in Belgium but with membership all across Europe.
Hosted in 2014 by Berättarnätet Sverige – The Swedish Storytelling Network, the conference will take place in Västerbotten, in the North of Sweden, in collaboration with Umea, european capital of culture 2014.
More information and complete programme on the website FEST
Fest is a true story.
Fest is an extraordinary story.
The image we made at our first meeting still lives.
Fest is a longship.
We are the ones at the oars.
This longship sails over the sea and over the earth.
It has no captain, no sponsors, no idea of profit nor invasion.
Fest just travels, collects and spreads the news of storytelling from harbour to harbour, from mouth to ear.
Norway, Switzerland, England, Spain, Belgium have welcomed our longship : Italy is waiting for us.
We are a fine group of more or less 60 people rowing Fest‘s Longship all over Europe.
Some of us have already sailed on their regional or national boats.
Some were rowing solo.
Now we sail together.
abb But why do we row ?
Because we need to.
This rowing is part of the art of storytelling.
You did not know ?
We did not know it either in the beginning, but we soon realized that rowing and telling would be brother and sister.
Rowing and telling is what keeps the stories – and the storytellers – out on the eternal waters and stops them from sinking into oblivion.
Now that we exist, we don’t want to disappear again.
We want the world to know of our existence.
So we row, and we tell.
The good news is that it’s healthy to row.
Good for the body, the breathing and the voice.
Our strength is growing with every journey.
We enjoy rowing together.
We are like the Nordic Ratatosk, the messenger, we keep the contact between the worlds.
We are also like Ananci the spider spinning a web to hold together stories and storytellers.
And so we say : « Fest must go on ».
So welcome aboard and we will sail to the ends of the world.
