Mazowiecki Institute of Culture has announced the dates and details of the 21st edition of the International Storytelling Art Festival. The event will take place from November 18–22, 2026, at the institution's headquarters at 12 Elektoralna Street in Warsaw. This year's edition, titled "Traditions? New Deal", focuses on the relationship between contemporary creators and the oral heritage from which they originate or which they actively choose. The organizers raise the question of who today speaks on behalf of tradition, encouraging dialogue, negotiation, and debate with narrative roots.
The Asian Dimension of Storytelling
The history of the festival will be recorded due to the establishment of cooperation with artists from Asia. For the first time, the program includes performances representing Asian storytelling traditions, including Korean pansori. This ancient narrative form, known as the Korean blues or hell opera, is inscribed on the UNESCO list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The organizers point out that the key significance lies in the unique technique of conducting oral narration, combining precision with a great freedom of improvisation by the performer.
The central figure of this year's edition will be Kim Kyung-ah from Seoul, who will perform with her drummer Choi Young-ho. The program will also feature French pansori practitioners: Hervé Péjaudier and Benjamin Bertocchi. Han Yumi, a lecturer from South Korea, will provide insight into this art form, and workshops on Korean vocal technique are planned for those interested.
Polish and International Program
In addition to the Korean and French artists, the stage in Warsaw will host creators from different parts of the world. Isabelle Genlis, a French storyteller of Vietnamese descent, and Hô Thuy Trang, an instrumentalist playing the dan tranh zither, will also perform. Emily Hennessey, an artist of Scandinavian descent, will present mythological stories about Loki and the goddess Kali, and also lead workshops for experienced storytellers.
Among the Polish guests, the organizers listed, among others, Filip Wika, who will perform songs by Jan Kochanowski with Adam Strug. The program also includes stories from Greater Poland performed by Łukasz Bernardy and an original version of the myth about the goddess Inana interpreted by Roksana Pietruczanis. Katarzyna Jackowska-Enemuo will tell about her encounter with the Andalusian witch Juana, and audiences will also be able to listen to the Studnia O Group and join a journey with Captain Gwidon Cybulski.
Practical Information
Ticket sales for selected festival events will begin on October 20, 2026. The full program is available online. Among the project's partners are, among others, the Korean Cultural Center, the Museum of Asia and the Pacific, and the Five Flavors Festival. The event's patronage is held by, among others, the Institute of Polish Culture of the University of Warsaw and the Faculty of Humanities of SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities.
Decisions
Co-financing of the project from the funds of the city of Warsaw and the Minister of Culture and National Heritage (Cultural Promotion Fund)