Putting a modern touch on ancient folklore
Athena Wee performing at Storyfest 2020. (Courtesy of The Storytelling Center Limited)
AS A YOUNG STORYTELLER AT THE STORYTELLING CENTER LIMITED, ATHENA WEE EXPLORES HER HERITAGE AND PRESERVES THE ANCIENT TRADITION.
As a young storyteller at The Storytelling Center Limited in Singapore, Athena Wee helps to engage modern audiences in the oral narrative tradition. Through performances with the nonprofit, she tells folktales, mythology, legends and fables for listeners of all ages.
“With Singapore being a diverse, multicultural country, storytelling here definitely plays a big role in spreading and passing on the stories of our rich history,” shares Athena, who recently graduated from LASALLE College of the Arts with a degree in performance.
Founded by Kamini Ramachandran, The Storytelling Center Limited works to ensure the sustainability of the art form by training young storytellers like Athena and holding performances for the public, like the annual Storyfest festival . Kamini created the organization because she believes in the power of the stories. “Storytelling helps us to understand other cultures, build tolerance between communities. Listening to the stories which others share can help us to appreciate and understand their views, ”she explains.
Athena with her mentor and The Storytelling Center Limite founder Kamini Ramachandran. (Courtesy of The Storytelling Center Limited)
Although Singapore is often celebrated for its multiculturalismracial inequality persists in many aspects of Singaporean society. Athena finds that storytelling encourages understanding between different groups. celebrated for its multiculturalism , racial inequality persists in many aspects of Singaporean society
Storytelling has also helped Athena connect her with her heritage. “As a third-generation Chinese immigrant, expressing my culture through StoryFest Singapore has given me the chance to understand my culture more,” she explains. During the 2019 StoryFest, Athena told “The Butterfly Lovers,” a story known as China's “Romeo and Juliet” about a young woman who disguises herself as a man so that she can go to school. “Through the process of learning and telling that story, I learn about the rich history of China,” Athena says. “It also gave me the chance to have enriching discussions with my family about our heritage and ancestral backgrounds, which made the experience so valuable as I was able to develop a greater appreciation for my culture.”
“As a third-generation Chinese immigrant, expressing my culture through StoryFest Singapore has given me the chance to understand my culture more.”
As part of the Young Storytellers Mentorship Project, Athena learns how to be a more effective storyteller and performer. “Some of the tools I have picked up include using songs within stories so that young audiences are able to effectively follow along the stories. Along with that, repetition is also a useful skill to use in stories, as it helps our little audience members better remember the essence of each story, ”she shares. “Finally, I also learned that making my stories as interactive as possible, whether with little games within a story, or by directly asking the audiences questions, makes the story more enriching and enjoyable.”
At the 2020 Storyfest, Athena employed these techniques during her performance of “The Boy and the Drum,” an Indian folktale about the importance of giving. “Despite facing hardships in his life, the boy in the story, Raju, was always willing to share with those around him,” she explains. “Through this story, I wanted to let children watching know that it never hurts to be generous, and hopefully they would be more open to sharing with their friends after listening to the story!”
(Courtesy of The Storytelling Center Limited)
Because of the COVID-19 crisis, the Storyfest went digital this year, but The Storytelling Center Limited is well-versed in using technology to make traditional stories accessible to modern audiences. “We leveraged on technology to create a more atmospheric experience,” shares Kamini. Through their O / Aural Waves exhibit, the center uses wireless headphones to immerse audiences in the storytelling experience. On their YouTube channel and Instagram , the center shares performances from storytellers like Athena .
“I feel honored to be able to be a medium for these stories to be passed down to audiences. In this digital age, it is less common for people to be drawn to traditional storytelling as a form of entertainment, ”Athena shares. “Being able to bring these stories to life for people of the younger generation makes me happy knowing that these stories will not be lost.”
For Kamini, helping foster the next generation of storytellers like Athena is precisely why she started the center. “In Asia, the arts is considered as an unconventional career path. There must be sufficient advocates of the arts who are career practitioners fully immersed in the creative industries, to show our youth that being an artist or performer is a perfectly viable option, ”she explains. “If every child was forced to consider careers as lawyers, doctors and engineers, we would not be able to mentally and emotionally survive this pandemic without the spiritual and sublime relief that poetry, songs, movies, stories, comedy have provided us.”
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