Reviving the Palestinian voice through the use of traditional stories
Sarah Abusarar (CA)
Storytelling has been an integral part of the Palestinian tradition. Historically, the folktales were told in Palestinian villages and passed down by the women who carried this strong Palestinian tradition. It is said that most of the folktales from the The Levantine region have their roots in Palestine. However, after the occupation, most of the Storytelling families in the Palestinian villages became silent. As part of the resistance in recent years, Palestinian Storytellers in Palestine and the diaspora have taken to reviving the Palestinian oral tradition. This lecture will explore the history of the Palestinian oral tradition and how Storytelling has been used and continues to be used as a form of resistance.
Sarah Abusarar comes from a long line of Storytellers on her paternal side. She is an award-winning storyteller recognised by the International Academy for Intangible Cultural Heritage in Morocco and Storytelling Toronto who presented her with the Ann Smyth travel award. Sarah has performed at festivals in Canada, Cuba, Italy, Croatia, Bosnia, Tunisia, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates. Because Sarah grew up in several countries, she tells stories from all over the world with a focus on Palestinian and Croatian stories, where her roots lie. Her favourite stories promote social change.
Sarah has therapeutically used stories with children in refugee camps in Palestine and with refugee children in Toronto. She works at the Parent-Child Mother Goose Program using traditional storytelling to encourage parent-child bonding. Sarah belongs to a collective called “Musical Story Studio,” where stories and music are combined. Sarah tells stories so that she may go deep inside of the tales and find herself in faraway magical places that she remembers, from long, long ago.