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| Alicia Dong-joo Bang performs storytelling for children at a Beautiful Store, Seoul, in 2016. Courtesy of Alicia Dong-joo Bang |
By Lee Yeon-woo
Many people have fond childhood memories of their parents reading to them before they went to bed. Based on the stories they were told, young kids can expand their imagination and also learn from fables.
Narrating stories is an age-old performing art and there are professional storytellers who tell stories before crowds at festivals or other interactive events.
One of them is Alicia Dong-joo Bang, 51, chairperson of the Korea International Storytelling Festival (KISF).
As an international storyteller, she tells Korean folktales in English to non-Korean audiences. She has performed at multiple events. Among those locations was Sharjah, the United Arab Emirates, and she also won a gold medal at the 21st Iran Storytelling Festival.
Despite her eight-year career, she said she is still encouraged by the audience's praise and appreciation.
"Once, a father and a little girl came over and thanked me at a festival held in Malaysia," Bang said. There she told the Korean folktale, "The cat, the dog and the blue marble."
"They said they live in a shelter. The daughter said she will remember this story and dream of getting their house back one day. The father thanked me for gifting a wonderful imaginary experience to his daughter. That was the most touching moment for me," Bang added.
Moments like these led her to believe more in the importance of telling stories. She thinks they are not just stories, but also comfort and wisdom passed down from ancient times.
Bang's belief came from her father, who worked as an oriental medicine doctor in Yesan County, South Chungcheong Province.
"My father highlighted communication even when I was a little girl. I grew up in a rural area, so a lot of customers visited our house to get oriental medicine and traditional remedies such as acupuncture and herbs. They talked about many things in their lives, even though that's not related to illnesses. He always told me that hearing patients' difficulties sometimes helps more than using medical techniques."
Her passion to make a better future for children and to preserve timeless stories even led her to organize the KISF from 2018. At the fifth festival held from Oct. 8 to 9, more than 60 storytellers participated in the event to share their stories both online and offline.
"At first, I paid out of my own pocket to invite the storytellers from around the world. Our organization is not large, but we gathered around the shared belief that this work helps to create a better society," Bang said with pride.
"A lot of people ask me why I struggle to organize a festival that nobody has never done before. But I believe stories can deliver wisdom to future generations. This job is not cool like K-pop superstars on stage. But a single story has the power to transform someone's life. That's why I am doing this."
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