10th Annual Storytelling Festival

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, March 18, 2014

10th Annual Storytelling Festival - Art of the Story at Washington County Libraries

April 5 - 12, 2014

Washington County, Oregon: The Washington County Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS) hosts the 10th Annual Storytelling Festival - Art of the Story April 5 - 12. The festival features five professional storytellers: Bil Lepp (South Charleston, WV), Alton Takiyama-Chung (Vancouver, WA), Olga Loya (San Jose, CA), Will Hornyak (Portland, OR) and Habiba Addo (Portland, OR & Ghana, West Africa).

The festival performances are designed for the enjoyment of adults and children ages 6 and up, unless otherwise noted. The week-long storytelling extravaganza features 14 storytelling performances at the WCCLS member libraries, the Glenn & Viola Walters Cultural Arts Center and the Washington County Museum in Hillsboro.

The festival wraps up on Saturday, April 12 with a full slate of activities. Bil Lepp will begin the morning with a performance at the Sherwood Public Library. Followed in the afternoon, at the Beaverton City Library, by his presentation of The Lego Method - Storytelling Workshop. A community-wide Story Swap hosted by the Portland Storytellers’ Guild follows the workshop at the Beaverton Library. On the evening of the 12th, the Hillsboro Main Library hosts the final storytelling concert featuring performances by all five storytellers. A reception precedes the concert offering a no-host bar with complimentary hors d’oeuvres. Limited childcare for children ages 2-8 is also available for this evening event; please contact the Hillsboro Library for details (503-615-6500).

The WCCLS festival is supported in part by grants from the Regional Arts and Culture Council, Cultural Coalition of Washington County, each of the local Friends of the WCCLS member libraries hosting a festival event, Recology, Tualatin Heritage Center, the Portland Storytellers’ Guild and the Washington County Museum. Generous in-kind services have been provided by Pamplin MediaGroup, Hillsboro Library Foundation, Hillsboro Library Friends, Courtyard by Marriott, Glenn and Viola Walters Cultural Arts Center and Stash Tea.

2014 Storytelling Festival Events

NOTE: Content in the programs require attentive listening and may be too intense for non-school aged children. Except where noted, the festival programs are designed for adults and children ages 6 and above.

Saturday, April 5: Beaverton Library: 1 – 2:30 p.m.

• Tales From The Monarchy: Alton Chung
  Stories from the Kingdom of Hawaii.
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• The Myth of Skeleton Woman & Other Tales from the Edge: Will Hornyak
  Myths are the world's oldest stories. Like ancient ancestors they still speak to us today, offering knowledge, humor, strategies and wisdom for finding our way in the world.

Saturday, April 5: Tualatin Library: 4 p.m.

• So, That’s Why! Habiba Addo
  Pourquoi tales from Africa explaining in fantastical ways how and why particular animals look and act a certain way.

Sunday, April 6: Washington County Museum: 1 – 4 p.m.
(at Hillsboro Civic Center, 2nd Floor above Starbucks: 120 E Main Street, Hillsboro 97123)

• 1 p.m.: Curating Your Story & The Museum As Storyteller: Beth Dehn (Designed for adults & ages 10+)
  The Museum houses an extensive collection of oral histories, archives and library featuring photos, documents, and artifacts. Join the Education Curator to learn about collecting your family oral histories. Participants will also learn about how museums curate collections.
• 2:15 p.m.: Erin's Cauldron: A Rich Brew of Irish Myths & Legends: Will Hornyak From the bold Queen Maeve and the wild Hag of Beara to the Warrior Poet Finn Mac Cool, a weaving of legends, songs, tales and lore from the Emerald Isle.
• 3 p.m.: Workshop: The Art & Craft of the Tale: Will Hornyak A storyteller's toolbox of ideas, techniques and exercises for bringing original and traditional stories to life. Whether working on a personal story or a traditional myth or folktale, this workshop will help participants in creating strong beginnings and endings and developing vivid plots and characters.

Monday, April 7: West Slope Library: 6:30 p.m.
(at Raleigh Park Elementary School 3670 SW 78th Ave, Portland 97225)

• The World of Tricksters: Habiba Addo
  Tricksters from Africa entertain and teach life lessons through their follies and humor.

Tuesday, April 8: Walters Cultural Arts Center – Hillsboro: 7 p.m.
(at 527 East Main Street, Hillsboro 97123)

• Caribbean Waters to the African Savannah: Habiba Addo (Adult focused)
  Two tales of bravery and courage as two characters face adversities and triumph.

Wednesday, April 9: Washington County Museum: Noon – 4 p.m.
(PCC Rock Creek Campus: 17677 NW Springville Road, Portland 97229)

• Open House
  The Museum houses the county archives, artifacts, and an extensive library of documents and reference materials on the PCC Rock Creek Campus. Join the Museum curatorial and archives staff for an open house to familiarize yourself with the resources available as you explore your family history. Advance reservations are encouraged, please RSVP to 503-645-5353 ext. 300 and visit the Museum website (www.washingtoncountymuseum.org) for directions and details.

Wednesday, April 9: Washington County Museum: 2 p.m.
(at PCC Rock Creek Campus: 17677 NW Springville Road, Portland 97229)

• Curator Resources Overview: Karen Lange
  The Museum Curator will present an overview of using the library resources. Advance reservations are encouraged, please RSVP to 503-645-5353 ext. 300.

Wednesday, April 9: Forest Grove Library: 6:30 p.m.

• Passport to African Countries: Habiba Addo (Adult focused) Travel to several African countries through heartwarming and cautionary tales

Wednesday, April 9: Garden Home Library: 7 p.m.

• Mayhem & Other Tall Tales: Bil Lepp (Adult focused)
  Tales from the West Virginia Liars Contest and Beyond

Wednesday, April 9: North Plains Library: 7 p.m.
(at Jessie Mays Hall, 30975 NW Hillcrest Street, North Plains 97133)

• Let’s Work Together: Olga Loya
  The power of community, people working together and peace stories are just some of the themes of this show. Listen to folk tales, myths, legends and personal stories from around the world with an emphasis on Latin American stories.

Thursday, April 10: Banks Library: 7 p.m.

• Tales From The Plantations: Alton Chung
  Stories from Hawaii's Plantation Days

Thursday, April 10: Tualatin Library: 6:30 p.m.

• Singing & Dancing Through Stories: Olga Loya (in Spanish)
  Celebrate through dancing and singing as you hear folk tales, personal stories and myths. The culture of Latin America is passed on through personal stories about family and life, stories about community, stories about taking responsibility, stories about building character.

Friday, April 11: Cedar Mill Library: 7 p.m.

• Bright Ideas Gone Bad: Bil Lepp
  It seemed like a good idea at the time, and then...

Saturday, April 12: Sherwood Library: 10:30 a.m.

• Fire, Fire Pants On Liar: Bil Lepp
  Award winning, hilarious tales

Saturday, April 12: Beaverton Library: 1 – 3 p.m.

• The Lego Method Of Storytelling Workshop: Presented by Bil Lepp (For adults & ages 10+)
  Learn how to drop/add content of a story without affecting the impact or message. Understand how to locate markers, characters, themes, on-ramps, jumping-off points in your material to couple, triple even quadruple your various stories and ideas into an interlocking pattern. Just as with Legos - end up with a solid structure that is built with pieces of different shapes, sizes and colors.

Saturday, April 12: Beaverton Library, 3 – 4 p.m.

• Story Swap with Portland Storytellers’ Guild
  An opportunity for members of the public to tell a 5 minute story. Designed for both beginners to seasoned tellers interested in testing out new material. Meet and mingle with members of the local storytellers’ guild.

Saturday, April 12: Hillsboro Library – Main, 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.

• Storytelling Reception & Festival Finale Concert (Adult focused)
  Please join us for a Storytelling Reception and Finale Concert featuring a no-host bar with complimentary hors d'oeuvres. Limited childcare for children ages 2-8 is also available for this evening event; please contact the Hillsboro Library in advance for details (503-615-6500).
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  This adult focused program showcases all five of the festival's storytellers:
  
  • Habiba Addo: The Cow Tail Switch - A great hunter does not return home after several months. His sons set off to investigate. What will they find?
  • Will Hornyak: Little Red Riding Hood: The REAL Story! - The never before told story of what really happened in those dark woods so long, long ago. You'll be shocked, you'll be amazed!!!
  • Alton Chung: Tales From A Misspent Adulthood - What was I thinking?
  • Olga Loya: Stories Of The Heart - Folklore and personal stories as a healing mirror that give courage and insight to us all
  • Bil Lepp: Pulling Out All The Stops - It's gonna be funny

For directions to the performance venues and additional festival details please visit www.wccls.org/festival or pick up a festival newsletter at a local WCCLS member library.

NOTE: A high resolution picture and biography for each storyteller is available by request: [email protected]

The Washington County Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS) includes the Banks Public Library, Beaverton City Library, Beaverton City Library @ Murray Scholls, Cedar Mill Community Library (and Bethany branch), Cornelius Public Library, Forest Grove City Library, Garden Home Community Library, Hillsboro Public Libraries (Main and Shute Park), North Plains Public Library, Sherwood Public Library, Tigard Public Library, Tualatin Public Library, West Slope Community Library, WCCLS Outreach to Homebound, Oregon College of Art and Craft and the Tuality Health Resource Center.

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