On Monday the 24th of September, the students of the MA course in Communication and Languages of Tourism were led through the manifold paths of the art of narrations by 5 international storytellers and 3 relators. Racconto Dunque Sono took place in the conference hall ‘Sala Ambrogiana’ of the Università degli Studi Roma Tre, where prof. Marinella Rocca Longo brought MA students to discuss the applications of storytelling in different spheres of theory and practice.
The title of this event,”I tell, therefore I am” alias “Racconto, dunque Sono” alludes to the essential role of stories and narration in personal and cultural imaginaries. Stories transcend the barriers of distinctive languages and ensure the entry into the symbolic and social realms that are expressed through human speech as a whole. They are a crucial vehicle to convey knowledge and to advance insight into various aspects of reality. Narration is a fundamental aspect of human activity as it constitutes the core operation of interpersonal and intercultural communication. The history of the world is made out of stories that are passed on from one generation to another. Stories that are transformed and adapted as they move through time and space. The art of storytelling strives to keep this tradition alive. Racconto Dunque Sono was a collaborative event that enhanced cooperation between storytelling and academic research in humanistic disciplines such as philology, anthropology, linguistics, literature and sociology.
The event alternated storytelling performances by established as well as emerging artists, and scholarly interventions by professors, relators and students.
This combination allowed to address the theme and its variations through a cross-disciplinary perspective and to facilitate collaboration among different though correlative professional figures at different stages of their career.
The event was hosted by University Roma Tre, enabling free access to students, academic staff and external visitors. Introducing storytelling in an academic context enhanced awareness of storytelling as a creative discipline and boosted the use of narrativity to convey knowledge and cultural awareness through performative mediums.
Storytellers and Relators: Prof. Mimesis Heidi Dahlsveen (Oslo Met University – Norway), Prof. Malgorzata Litwinowicz (Warsaw University – Poland), Prof. Marinella Rocca Longo (Relator, Università Roma Tre – Italy), Nensi Bego (Relator – Italy), Sophie Heydel (The Tale Teller, Spain-UK), Angela Sajeva (Public Telling – Italy), Sophilia Tsorteki (Storyteller – Greece), Sofia Dati (Relator and project coordinator – Belgium).
For more information and visual documentation of the event:
RACCONTO DUNQUE SONO
On Sunday the 23rd of September, a unique combination of slam poetry, storytelling, music and video saw the light at the Città dell’Altra Economia in the heart of Testaccio, a historical area of Rome. Racconti d’Europa chose to celebrate the European day of languages by bringing together 9 international performers who create and narrate worlds through words. The event took place both outdoors and indoors on a sunny Sunday afternoon.
All storytellers and slam poets were chosen for their international background. They are all polyglots that travel around the world, transmitting stories and poems in different social, linguistic and cultural contexts.
At 4 pm, three storytellers captured the attention of a group of 25 children at the Tana Liberi Tutti. Sophilia Tsorteki, Sophie Heydel and Angela Sajeva told stories in Greek, English and Italian to their young audience.