2022 Storytelling Event
About the Day
(Camden, NJ) On Saturday May 14th the IDEA Center for the Arts in Camden, the Rutgers-Camden Digital Studies Center (DiSC), the Rutgers-Camden Proof Lab and members of the Department of Childhood Studies partnered to host A Day of Storytelling, initially scheduled to be in Johnson Park located in Camden, NJ from 12PM to 5PM; but due to rain, we moved the event indoors at the IDEA Center for The Arts. The event was a celebration of Southern New Jersey's diverse culture and the stories that helped shape our community. It featured storytelling workshops, presentations by community members, performances, exhibits, vendors, food and so much more. Attendees enjoyed a day of festivities from various cultures with a focus on Indigenous Peoples, the Latinx & African American communities with an awesome lineup of presenters that included Kim Hunter from the Lenape Nation, Arthur & Shawnta Taylor with a family story weaved into the fabric of African American history, plus a reenactment of Harriet Tubman; "Sisters laying down hands" with Mama Nzingha featuring drummer Karen Smith and Nidsa Resto Bruno featuring musician Suzette Ortiz. Ortiz's segment presented short stories discussing Latin American roots and the mixture of all three cultures titled My story is your story, “Mi historia es tu historia." They shared how we preserve our culture through storytelling.
"Growing up listening to stories that my mother used to tell me resulted in a sense of well-being and connectedness. Our storytelling Festival was about emitting positive energy into the environment, proving how we are all interconnected," says IDEA CEO & Founder, Cynthia Primas. The celebration and partnership were created to organize a variety of events and programs as "part of a broader effort to reimagine Johnson Park as a place to gather, to celebrate and to collaborate." We are thankful to our sponsors which include Rutgers-Camden University, Geraldine R Dodge Foundation, Bread & Roses, Subaru Foundation of America and New Jersey Arts and Culture Recovery Fund. Additional funders include the Community Foundation of South Jersey and Sozosei Foundation.