CNCF
Brings Back Gimistory International Storytelling Festival

Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands – 31 October 2019 –
Some of Cayman’s favourite performers
will return to beaches and parks on all three islands this November
and December to celebrate the 20th
anniversary of the very popular Cayman Islands International
Storytelling Festival, Gimistory. After a year’s hiatus, the
events will take place from 29 November until 7 December 2019,
helping to usher in the Christmas holiday season by reminding
attendees of some of the simpler things in life such as sitting in
Granny’s backyard listening to stories. Gimistory is a free event
presented by the Cayman National Cultural Foundation (CNCF) which
brings together over 2,500 people from virtually every sector of
Cayman’s multi-generational and multi-national community, in
addition to visitors from abroad, who return time and again.

Scheduled
to appear this year is storyteller Amina Blackwood-Meeks from
Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago Extempo performer Philip Murray aka
Black Sage and calypso band David Bereaux & Friends, The
Storycrafters from the US and local storytellers Matt Brown, Quincy
Brown and Virginia Foster. More names will be confirmed closer to
the event.

Past
Gimistory audiences will be familiar with some of this year’s
international storyteller lineup, who have been regaling Festival
attendees with stories and music for years.

Amina
Blackwood Meeks describes herself as a “Jamaican-born, Caribbean
national, bonafide Citizen of the World”. She is a writer,
director, performer, and custodian of the oral tradition as well as a
lecturer-researcher-farmer, widely acknowledged for her instrumental
contribution to the recent renaissance of the art-form of traditional
Caribbean storytelling. A teller of traditional and contemporary
tales, her deep, rich, dramatic and deliberate voice brings stories
from the heads of the ancestors, connecting ancient wit and wisdom
with modern needs.

(Source:
http://aminablackwoodmeeks.com/index.php)

David
Bereaux is a Vintage Calypso Artiste who began his professional
performing career in 1991 in the calypso musical play entitled “Sing
the Chorus.” Since then, he has done numerous theatrical
productions before his career as a Vintage Calypso Singer took off in
1995. The David Bereaux and Friends Vintage Calypso Ensemble is now a
well-established Vintage Calypso Band doing performances all over the
Caribbean. David himself has toured numerous times across North
America and Europe.

Black
Sage, a title holder on the Trinindad & Tobago carnival Extempo
stage, is also a regular Gimistory performer. Extempo is a lyrically
improvised form of calypso in which performers take turns at
ad-libbing in song on a theme randomly chosen by their audience.
They often engage in a humourous “war of words” with other
calypsonians adept at the artform. This type of storytelling is
always a hit with Gimistory attendees.

Barry
Marshall and Jeri Burns, PhD have been working together as The
Storycrafters since 1991. They are the 2018 recipients of the
National Storytelling Network's "Circle of Excellence"
Award. The Storycrafters have produced twelve award-winning CD
recordings. Their 2018 book, "Storytwisting", published by
Parkhurst Brothers Publishers, was the winner of the 2019
'Storytelling World' Award.

In
addition to their work as performers, Jeri and Barry are healing
storytellers at the Stamford CT Hospital psychiatric unit and were
adjunct college faculty at Southern CT State University. They
perform and teach their art form in schools, libraries, and other
venues all over the US and internationally in the Caribbean and the
British Isles. They have been featured performers at storytelling and
folk festivals nationally and internationally.

Jeri
and Barry believe in the time-tested wisdom of traditional stories
and share that wisdom with today’s audiences. They strive to honour
world cultures by telling the old stories in respectful ways, often
integrating the musical instruments, songs or dances indigenous to
that region.

Caymanian
Matt Brown is a gifted public speaker and talented performer. He
utilises his degree in Professional Recording Arts and Social Studies
to write and perform his own music, but is equally gifted on stage,
receiving accolades for his work in Gimistory and Rundown. In 2017,
he was chosen to represent the Cayman Islands at CARIFESTA 13 in
Barbados, acting in the lead role of the drama, “Playground” by
Frank McField.

He
developed his own media company and brand, Geezum TV, which has
produced an animated children’s show, Bobo & Teedee, a comedy
sketch variety show which is now carried by Tempo networks and is
seen in over five million households internationally.

Brown
is excited about the Festival’s return. “Gimistory is coming back
with all the audience's favourites! It’s really several shows in
one. Your eyes and ears will be glued to the stage. No holding back
this time. I’m bringing out some new ideas for you and I can’t
wait!”

Born
on Cayman Brac, Quincy Brown started singing solos in church at age
six and performing Louise Bennett pieces at age 12 on the Harquail
Theatre stage for National Children’s Festival of the Arts. He has
won many awards in the performing arts over the years in theatre,
drama, speech and singing. In 2017 he marked his 25th anniversary on
stage. A CARIMAC trained radio broadcaster, he has worked for Radio
Cayman, Vibe 98.9FM and Rooster 101.9FM as an announcer, DJ and News
Reporter. This year will be Quincy's "COME BACK" to the
Rundown Production after seven years of absence. He is a Cultural
Tourism Ambassador at The Owen Roberts International Airport and
hosts his own show on the internet called "Brac Caribe Gardens."
He is often invited into schools as a Storyteller sharing Caymanian
stories and Caymanian folksongs with students. His voice can be heard
on many commercials on radio and he's often asked to be The Master of
Ceremonies for various shows.

Better
known as “Auntie V” at CNCF’s annual Gimistory Festival and on
“Caymanian Stories” aired on Radio Cayman on Saturday mornings,
local storyteller Virginia Foster’s other creative outlets include
ceramic art, fashion designing, conducting storytelling workshops,
and mounting culture and heritage exhibits of her many private
collections in schools and other venues. Ms. Foster received an
Emerging Pioneer Certificate at the Heroes Day Award Ceremony in
January 2014 and is a 2012 recipient of the CNCF Gold Star for
Creativity in the Arts.

“Cayman’s
audiences look forward to the entertainment CNCF has been bringing to
their doorsteps every year, as we tour through the districts with
stories and music to kick off the holiday season,” said Marcia
Muttoo, CNCF Managing Director. “The purpose of the Festival is to
provide family entertainment for locals and visitors in a relaxed
setting; pass on the tradition of storytelling; build the local
population of storytellers; encourage reading, writing and
performing; share a variety of stories (and stories through music)
from Cayman and the world; celebrate local food culture and encourage
and celebrate community involvement in arts and culture. We look
forward to getting back on the road and engaging with the community.”

Dates
for Gimistory 2019

• Friday,
  29 November – Agriculture Grounds, Cayman Brac
  
• Monday,
  2 December – Gerald Smith Park, North Side
  
• Tuesday,
  3 December – Coe-Wood Beach, Bodden Town
  
• Wednesday,
  4 December – East End Public Beach, East End
  
• Thursday,
  5 December – Little Cayman Beach Resort, Little Cayman
  
• Friday,
  6 December – Jefferson Beach, West Bay
  
• Saturday,
  7 December – Smith Barcadere, George Town
  

All
shows begin at 7:00pm. Fried fish and fritters will be on sale.

For
more information about Gimistory call 949.5477 or email
cncf@artscayman.org.