FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.– The Cumberland County Public Library kicks off the 13th Annual Storytelling Festival at Segra Stadium on Friday, March 11, 2022, at 6:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome to this family friendly event.
Dr. Brian Sturm, a feature storyteller, shares stories about the wonderous sky. Stories, games and fun will be on-hand for all participants at the March 11 event.
The free storytelling festival will take place March 1-31 throughout the Cumberland County Library System with virtual and in-person stories and activities for children from birth to age 12. The Cumberland County Public Library received a $5,000 grant from the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County in August 2021 for the Storytelling Festival.
The theme for this year’s festival is “The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars.” Programs and activities will focus on the solar system and the stars while exposing participants to stories and myths about the heavens from a variety of cultures.
“The Arts Council is pleased to partner with the Cumberland County Public Library in support of their annual Storytelling Festival,” said Bob Pinson, Interim President and CEO of the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County. “Project Support Grants for 2021-2022 will help fund arts, culture and history projects throughout Cumberland County.”
“These initiatives help strengthen our communities through festivals and concerts, youth education programs, art exhibitions, workshops and more,” Pinson added.
Project Support Grants increase opportunities for access to arts, science, cultural, and historical programming in Cumberland County. The grants are awarded to nonprofit agencies in Cumberland County that demonstrate financial and administrative stability.
“Storytelling and events like the storytelling festival are critical for encouraging literacy and promoting discovery and learning in our community,” said Faith Phillips, Cumberland County Public Library Director. “Storytelling helps listeners be creative and to use their imagination, all skills that can foster literacy and a love of reading.”
About the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County:
The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization based in Fayetteville, NC that supports individual creativity, cultural preservation, economic development, and lifelong learning through the ARTS. Founded in 1973, the Arts Council has served as a link between artists, arts, and cultural organizations, and the greater community by administering programs in partnership with a variety of local agencies to stimulate community and economic growth, reinforce child education, and enhance the cultural identity of the arts and entertainment district.
In the fiscal year 2020-21, the Arts Council distributed $1.1M in grant funds and allocations to Cumberland County arts and culture nonprofit organizations, artists, and municipalities. The Arts Council’s grants, programs, and services are funded in part by contributions from community partners, and through grants from the City of Fayetteville, Cumberland County, and the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resources.
For more information concerning in-person and virtual programs at the library, please visit the library’s website at cumberlandcountync.gov/library or visit them on social media.