Thessaloniki Storytelling Festival - Our news - ENGLISH TEXT
With great success and a warm response from the public, the 2nd Thessaloniki Storytelling Festival was completed, confirming the dynamic presence of oral storytelling as both a contemporary artistic expression and an educational practice.
The Festival hosted a rich and multidimensional program, which included storytelling performances for adults and children, experiential workshops, educational seminars, and storytelling accompanied by music. This year’s theme, Light in the Darkness, framed the events, along with thematic sections dedicated to myths, folktales, and contemporary narrative approaches. Special emphasis was placed on intercultural exchange through multilingual storytelling in Greek, English, and Italian.
The Festival took place from April 23–26, 2026, and was organized by the Center of Letters and Arts “Technodromio”, with the support of AMKE Kahta, under the artistic co-direction of Stella Tsingou and Katerina Voskaridou. Renowned storytellers from Greece, Cyprus, and abroad participated, as well as social anthropologist Aegle Brouskou. Participants included Elena Asciutti from Italy; Eleni Basdara, Antonia Batsali, Soultana Xenou, and Stella Tsatsaroni from Thessaloniki; Stelios Pelasgos from Pelion; Despoina Aristeidou from Syros; Konstantina Tsalapatani and Panagiotis Tsironis from Athens; and Youla Maliou and Michalis Pakkos from Cyprus.
The active participation of the audience—both in performances and workshops—as well as their engagement in the open storytelling stage on the final day, highlighted the deep need for human connection and collective experience through the spoken word.
Among the most memorable moments of the Festival were the storytelling marathons in the Cultural Neighborhood of the Municipality of Neapoli-Sykies, the children’s storytelling event at the bookstore “Etsi kanoun oi Ballarines,” and the masterclass by Katerina Voskaridou and Elena Asciutti for the students of the Thematic SAEK of Thessaloniki. As part of the course “Storytelling Techniques” within the Early Childhood Education Assistants program, taught by Stella Tsingou and Kyriakos Danielides, the two storytellers engaged in dialogue with the students, narrated stories, and shared insights from their professional journeys in storytelling. The Festival’s activities opened a fruitful dialogue about the future of storytelling as both an art form and a profession.
The success of the event was a result of the collaboration of artists, organizers, volunteers, and supporters, as well as the meaningful response of the audience, who embraced the Festival and renewed their appointment for next year.
For more information:
Tel. +30 6945995087, +357 99526772
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