Creative Campus

During April 3 and 4, 2009, Creative Campus held the Black Warrior Storytelling Festival at River Road Park in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. This festival, the first of its kind for the city, invited different storytellers from all over the state to come share their stories of tradition, culture, and imagination with the public. Hundreds of spectators flocked to this free event to listen to tellers throughout the weekend. Friday night's tellers included University of Alabama professor and renowned author Rick Bragg, Native American folklorist Betsy Irwin, Huntsville storyteller Bruce Walker, University of Alabama faculty member and storyteller Millie Jackson, and Athens, AL storyteller Doug Wells.

On Saturday, April 4, the Black Warrior Storytelling Festival continued in conjunction with the Alabama Crew Team's Spring Regatta, highlighting competitive rowing, art displays, and musical performances. Saturday also hosted an "Open-Mic" storytelling time and a free workshop on the art of storytelling. Children were given art activities by Wendie Whitaker of the Child's Play Foundation, a non-profit organization that strives to promote and strengthen a child's self-worth by nurturing artistic creation. That afternoon, members of the Tuscaloosa band Callooh! Callay! performed some of their original work while some of Alabama’s most beloved storytellers, historians, and comedians prepared to take the stage. Tellers for Saturday afternoon included Greensboro civil rights movement storyteller Theresa Burroughs, Birmingham storyteller Nina Reeves, Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant-era Alabama Coach Clem Gryska, UA staff member Brice Miller, Huntsville storyteller Danny Turner, and Athens storyteller Doug Wells. The University African Drumming Circle preceded the last set of tellers for the festival, including Hillcrest High School creative writing teacher Jody Evans, Huntsville storyteller Bruce Walker, UA Professor of Law and professional storyteller Steven Hobbs, UA faculty member and storyteller Millie Jackson, Huntsville storyteller Danny Turner, and local comedian Max Karrh.

The Black Warrior Storytelling Festival was made possible by the University of Alabama's Creative Campus Initiative and Housing and Residential Communities, with additional support from the amazing line-up of storytellers, Harrison Galleries, Moundville Archaeological Park, and Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox, who issued a mayoral proclamation in support of and recognition for a storytelling festival in Tuscaloosa, commending both Creative Campus and Mary-Margaret Randall, lead intern, on the creation of this project.

Photos from the Black Warrior Storytelling Festival 2009:

Follow-up plans for the Black Warrior Storytelling Festival include preparing for an annual Storytelling event, and resulted in the creation of a Storytelling Club on the University of Alabama campus. More information on the Storytelling Club can be found on Facebook.

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