@ Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh, Thurs 29 October 2015



Syria is very much in the news at the moment. Troubles in recent years have inspired touching, personal and tragic stories. Syria itself has a long history in storytelling and for the Stories Without Borders – Syrian Journeys event the audience at the Scottish Storytelling Centre witness a traditional hakawati storytelling performance that blends old and new narratives together.

Qisenta: Talking Syria is a blog with the tagline ‘A non-political platform for Syrians and the people who have a close connection with the country to share their stories’. The performers this evening are all involved in the blog in various ways. The website looks at telling real life stories and acts as a method of expression and connection. The performance begins with a short film by Qisenta co-founder Juan delGado. The experimental short expresses the theme of journeys and is very much a piece of evocative video art that focusses on the ocean and the mystery it offers. This film acts as introduction before the hakawati performance begins.

The story this evening is a tale of displacement and love. It begins on the banks of the River Euphrates and ends in Malmo Sweden. Experiencing this tale directly from a hakawati storyteller makes it feel raw and passionate. We hear every nuance of the language and witness the performer express every beat of the narrative through grand and expressive gestures. The story is told in the traditional tongue which is then translated into English. The words are augmented with live music via a guitarist and this, along with the visceral language, makes the hakawati performance feel authentic and alive.

Stories Without Borders – Syrian Journeys is part of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival 2015. There are events across Edinburgh and beyond until 1 November. The festival presents a wide variety of themes and stories from across the globe.