BHUBANESWAR: The 3rd Children’s Storytelling Festival of city-based Bakul Foundation was organised at Bakul Library here on Sunday.
Around 15 children aged between 10 and 16 years from different schools across the city took part in the festival, showcasing their storytelling talent on the occasion.
The event is perhaps the first storytelling festival in the country featuring only child storytellers and follows the Bakul Storytelling Festival held on May 24, where renowned storytellers had performed for children, organisers said.
They said participants included students from DAV Public School, Unit-VIII and Chandrasekharpur, Sai International School, Loyola School, Unit-9 Girls’ High School and Mothers Public School, Unit-I.
Bakul Foundation founder Sujit Mahapatra said the festival reflected the remarkable growth of storytelling in Bhubaneswar. “When we organised the first storytelling event in the city as part of BhuFeSto in 2018, many people were unfamiliar with the concept and it was difficult to find storytellers. Today, we are able to curate an entire festival with child storytellers whose performances are on par with experienced adults,” he said.
Harshita Mishra, a Class VI student, said storytelling has helped improve confidence and creativity among children. “In a world dominated by mobile phones and AI, storytelling helps us think, imagine and connect with others,” she said.