FUNDA FEST 26 – annual celebration of black storytelling plans its 26th year of events

Photo: Valerie Tutson, Rhode Island Black Storytellers

Three weekends of the best in black cultural edu-tainment are planned for Rhode Island with the 26th Annual FUNDA FEST: A Celebration of Black Storytelling from January 19th to February 3rd, 2024, with events from Newport to South Kingstown to Westerly, Providence to Pawtucket to East Providence.

Internationally acclaimed storytellers will seek to captivate and educate audiences with tales deeply rooted in Black traditions. Marking 26 years of sharing these rich stories, FUNDA FEST 26 stands as a beacon of community impact and change. This year, we celebrate all the ways we tell stories: from Hip Hop legends to new films and solo performances by Black storytellers. Programs will be available in person and via broadcast.

FUNDA means to teach and learn in Zulu and KiSwahili, and for three weekends adults and children will be able to experience some of the best cultural arts programming across Rhode Island at venues that include schools, K-12, community and cultural arts centers, libraries,  and theaters. Stories and storytelling make learning  and cultural experiences fun for all ages. Funda Fest is known for the Free Family FUN Day concerts and workshops where intergenerational storytellers entertain and teach others of all ages how to tell their own stories. 

The festival’s highlights include performances by globally acclaimed artists such as David Gonzalez, Amina Blackwood Meeks, Teju Ologboni, April Amstrong, Muriel Johnson, and Masta Ace and many others. Additionally, RIBS storytellers Len Cabral, Ramona Bass Kolobe, Raffini, Rochelle Garner Coleman, Marlon Carey, Sylvia Ann Soares, Rachel Briggs, and Valerie Tutson will grace the stage, enriching the celebration.

The festivities kick off with our Opening Party at the Rites and Reason Theatre—a symbolic revisiting of RIBS’ roots. Guests can join a ritual around the fire to share stories and acknowledgments. The weekend events continue with Free Family Fun Days in Newport, Westerly, and Pawtucket, offering interactive storytelling programs and engaging activities for families to create cherished memories together.

Partnering with OUTSPOKEN PVD curated by Sara Lopes, we present Words and Music at the Southside Cultural Center of RI on January 21st, blending poetry, spoken word, vendors, and a live DJ for a vibrant evening.

The Liar’s Contest, a beloved tradition, invites participants to sign up and tell their tallest tales before a panel of judges on February 2nd at the Cape Verdean Club in East Providence, hosted by the incomparable Jess Brown, aka Lady J. Cash prices included! 

To commemorate 50 years of Hip Hop, Urban Legends (The Art of Storytelling in HipHop) explores the fusion of storytelling and Hip Hop, featuring legend Masta Aceand Akrobatik alongside local MCs and surprises at the Southside Cultural Center of RI—an event not to be missed!

To culminate FUNDA FEST 26, Black History A/live+ presents a full day of programming to kick off Black History month. Sylvia Ann Soares presents Nancy Elizabeth Prophet, and April Armstrong TWO WINGS TO HEAVEN, the life of Bessie Coleman.  Two films will be screened, one telling the story of Black Baseball in RI, and the other, FULLY OURSELVES, by RIBS member Rochelle Garner Coleman, takes us on a journey through the history of Black Tennis. Both films made possible with support from the Rhode Island State Council for the Humanities. The festival concludes Storytelling for Grown Folk at the SouthSide Cultural Center on February 3rd at 7:30 pm.

For info and tickets visit:  www.ribsfest.org , HOME – Funda Fest 26 or Rhode Island Black Storytellers on Facebook.

FUNDA FEST 26  Public Events Schedule: January 19th – February 3rd, 2024

Friday January 19th, 6-10pm (Ticketed)

Opening Party – Venue: Rites and Reason Theatre Brown University

Saturday, January 20th 12- 2pm ( Free)

Family Fun Day – Two locations, choose the closest to you!

Venue: Pell Elementary School , Newport or Westerly Library and Wilcox Park, Westerly

Saturday, January 20th 7:30 pm (Ticketed)

Evening Storytelling Concert for Grown Folks – Venue: Southside Cultural Center of RI

Sunday, January 21st 4-6 pm (Ticketed)

Words and Music by OUTSPOKEN PVD – Venue: Southside Cultural Center of RI

Thursday, January 25th 6:30 pm (Free)

Storytelling in South County – Venue: South Kingstown High School

Friday, January 26th 8-11pm (Ticketed)

Urban Legends ( The Art of Storytelling in Hip Hop) – Venue: Southside Cultural Center of RI

Saturday, January 27th 10am- 4pm (Free)

FREE Family Fun Day – Venue: MPACT Theatre

Saturday, January 27th 7:30 pm (Ticketed)

Hard to Tell Tales – Venue: MPACT Theatre

Sunday, January 28th  10 am  (Free)

Regie Gibson at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of South County Wakefield RI  

Sunday, January 28th 3-5pm (Ticketed)

Sacred Storytelling – Venue: MPACT Theatre

Thursday, February 1st 6-8pm (Ticketed)

Community Flavors – Venue: Southside Cultural Center of RI

Friday, February 2nd 7-10pm (Ticketed)

Liar’s Contest – Venue: Cape Verdean Club, East Providence

Saturday, February 3rd 10am – 4pm  (Ticketed)

Black History Alive – Venue: Southside Cultural Center of RI

Saturday, February 3rd 7:30 pm  (Ticketed)

Storytelling for Grown Folk – Venue: Southside Cultural Center of RI

FUNDA FEST 26 is made possible with support from our Sponsors: Papitto Opportunity Connection,  Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, the Rhode Island Foundation, Rhode Island Department of Education, Rhode Island Council for Humanities, The Dexter Donation, The Providence Shelter For Colored Children, COX, United Way of Rhode Island, Black Philanthropy Bannister Fund, Brabson Library and Educational Foundation, Nora Roberts Foundation, AARP Rhode Island and our Community Partners: Rites and Reason Theatre, W.A.R: Worship Arts Restoration, Westerly Library and Wilcox Park, Sankofa Community Connection, Pell Elementary School, Newport Art Museum, RISD Museum, OUTSPOKEN PVD, The Universalist Unitarian Congregation of South County, Southside Cultural Center of RI, Jamaican Society of RI, Cape Verdean Club, East Bay Community Action Program, Tennis Hall of Fame, South Kingstown High School, MPACT Stage, Leslie Moore, MOTIF Magazine.