It’s Story time again

Clarence City Council’s annual Story Festival is back this month for a week-long celebration of community, diversity and cultural sharing.

Following from last year’s triumphant inaugural offering, the 2023 Story Festival (16-20 May) builds on the success of last year’s event to deliver a diverse and jam- packed program of workshops, stalls, performances, shared meals and cultural exchanges.

This year participants can learn to make gnocchi with an Italian master matriarch, write elegant Japanese calligraphy, develop delicious dumpling skills, or henna their hands at the special Story Festival Market.

The council has partnered with the Clarence Plains Market to deliver the Story Festival Market, featuring a wide range of cultural foods, handcrafted items and live performances from 10am-2pm on Saturday 20 May.

Clarence Mayor Brendan Blomeley said the Story Festival aims to create meaningful cultural exchanges and skill sharing in a format that allows for genuine interpersonal connections.

“Instead of festival-goers passively watching a display or purchasing an item, Story Festival patrons form an integral part of the festival experience by actively participating with and engaging in intercultural skill sharing and story-telling in small groups,” he said.

“Clarence has such a diverse and interesting community, and the Story Festival is a wonderful way for people to learn more about their neighbours while sharing their own culture with the wider Clarence community.”

Most of this year’s festival will be held at the Grace Centre in Rokeby, to help spread social and economic benefits more widely throughout Clarence.

For more information or to purchase tickets, go to www. clarenceartsandevents.net