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HONOURED: Great African orator Chinua Achebe to be honoured at the Afrakan Storytelling Festival

NNE AGWU Afrakan Storytelling Festival is honouring the legacy of the Great African orator Chinua Achebe at the 6th anniversary storytelling festival presented by Shanti-Chi. The increasing popularity of Nne Agwu, was recognised for its enriching storytelling ability by the Arts Council, which awarded them a grant towards this years’ storytelling extravaganza.

Festival founder, Griot Chinyere said; “In this our sixth year, we can afford to pay our storytellers, Hip Hop Amen Ra!”

Shanti-Chi will welcome hundreds of individuals and families from the African & African Caribbean communities to Chiltern Hills Parmoor Farm Frieth, RG9 6PS in Oxfordshire during the last weekend of July; (Friday 28th – Monday 31st).

Families and friends will explore camping with a difference, by interacting in; storytelling workshops and performances, health and wellbeing sessions, early morning yoga, arts, crafts, stimulating night walks in beautiful woodlands and other inspirational activities.

Under midnight skies, immersed by the warmth of camp fires, festival goers will be reminded of tales told by their ancestors, by enchanting storyteller Griot Chinyere, who will be joined by an ensemble of rhythmical and engaging narrators including; Baba Ade, Jane Grell, Eli Anderson, Angie Amra, Beyonder and resident wood carver Ken Yahw Arts; these spinners of tales are honing in on African heritage, educating families and guiding communities to connect with their natural way of being as they re-evolve.

Shanti-chi invites African/African Caribbean families on a 4-day camp-down to explore the art of the oral tradition of storytelling, reignite the imagination, unburden the impact of ongoing gentrification of the urban jungle and experience what previous participants described as; "visually stimulating storytelling”, “a gentle balance of positive vibes”, “an outstanding phenomenal weekend.”

Advanced booking for day or weekend passes should be purchased through www.shanti-chi.com/ticket deals, please follow the online links for further information on group discounts, travel, what to bring and much more; early bird bookings for tickets available until 14th May 2017. Stalls holders are advised to make enquiry and book early to secure their space;
Notes to editor:

Shanti-Chi’s team are trained oral historians; capturing the story of the individual, the family, the community (in whatever form that may take). We are professional storytellers working with the ancestral patterns and energies which govern a story structure.

Over the years as the Storytelling festival evolves, the aim has remained constant; to create a space in nature where we can come to share, learn about and create our heritage and culture using the oral traditions. Griot Chinyere’s vision is for the Diaspora community to gather outdoors, as we do back home, to celebrate, preserve and promote our culture through the storytelling art form.

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