Storytelling Festival | Cayman National Cultural Foundation

Gimistory

International Storytelling Festival (Since 1999)

Storytelling is as old as mankind and is considered to be one of the most ancient arts. Storytelling celebrates the art of communication, of talking and listening, and of conveying information, whether lighthearted or profound. In Gimistory, professional storytellers come from all over the world telling stories that illuminate their heritage, stories that explore myths and legends, stories that provide laughter, drama and wonderment. Their stories engage audiences and stimulate the imagination.

When

NEW DATES!! The Cayman Islands International Storytelling Festival, GIMISTORY will return to its regular format from 25^th November – 2nd December 2022!

Where

Cayman Brac

Friday, 25 November – Spot Bay Community Park

Show times: 10-10:30am and 1:15-2:15pm

Grand Cayman

28 November to 2 December. Gates open at 7:00pm and showtime from 7:30-9:00pm

Monday, 28 November – Jefferson Beach (West Bay Public Beach), West Bay
Tuesday, 29 November – East End Public Beach, East End
Wednesday, 30 November – Hutland Park, North Side
Thursday, 1 December – Coe Wood Beach, Bodden Town
Friday, 2 December – Smith’s Barcadere (Smith’s Cove), George Town

Who

Nasaria Suckoo Chollette

Storyteller, Poet, Artist, and Cultural Activist, Nasaria Suckoo Chollette, has always sought to understand her journey through artistic expression. Nasaria’s work is intuitive, passionate, and bold. A teller of stories at the annual Gimistory Storytelling Festival, Nasaria has published two books, Storytelling Rundown and All the Joy in the World, and has had her poetry published locally and internationally. In her work, Nasaria closely explores themes of culture and social issues, with noted focus on women’s experiences. She does so with vivid colours and texture and with aim to be accessible to all sectors of her community. Her determination to deepen her practice stems from the desire to incite dialogue around these themes in Cayman and throughout the Diaspora. Outside of storytelling, Nasaria is also a celebrated and awarded visual artist, having been represented in many exhibitions both nationally and internationally over the last 25 years.

Mirabelle is fascinated by life and the many opportunities it offers for self-discovery. Alongside her career in yoga, Ayurveda, and wellness over the last 18 years, Mirabelle has authored four children's books including a best seller, all published in India. She has trained in storytelling with noted TEDx Speaker and storyteller Judith Liberman, having also had the honour of storytelling at previous Gimistory festivals prior to the pandemic. Mirabelle also works as a practicing HeartMath Interventions trainer, who uses biometrics for stress and anxiety management, where she sees daily how the stories we tell ourselves and others can positively impact how our nervous system responds.

Mirabelle D’Cunha

Rita Estevanovich

Rita Estevanovich was born and raised in Grand Cayman, where she has been recognised nationally for her work as an actor and cultural animateur, and internationally as a performer. Currently residing in London where she works as a professional actor, Rita is honoured to return home to share tales from near and far with local audiences of all ages. Her continued involvement with Gimistory dates back to 2004, following Hurricane Ivan. She recalls it as one of the most magical events she has ever experienced, and is passionate about the unifying power of storytelling, and its ability to give the community hope in the face of pain and loss. She accredits much of her artistic development to CNCF and Dr. Henry Muttoo.

Lesley-Ann Bernard is a professional actress and teacher of Drama. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of the West Indies and The Edna Manley School of Drama. She has been performing on stage for over 25 years both in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, and is looking forward to participating in Gimistory 2022. Outside of Gimistory, Leslie-Ann is also an active creative partner of CNCF, where she teaches Drama to students of all ages as part of CNCF’s weekly afterschool workshop series.

Lesley- Ann Bernard Ricketts

Hylton S. Grace

Hylton S. Grace is an author, poet, and storyteller, who has participated in Gimistory on several occasions. Originally from Jamaica, but now calling the Cayman Islands home, he credits his love for storytelling to being born in a rural village that had three great components; strong African retentions, a laid-back setting conducive to the imagination, and access to elders who enthusiastically shared their stories and adventures. As a professional, he is trained in clinical social work and life coaching and works as a counselor at Her Majesty Cayman Islands Prison Service. He is also a husband and a father, who enjoys beach outings and movies with his family.

Stuart Wilson is a storyteller who shares his art through the medium of music. Inspired largely by his passion for Caymanian heritage, his songs are a unique blend of Reggae, Blues, and Jazz, which he refers to as, 'Reggae Renaissance Music’. In his career, the guitarist and songwriter has played all over the world, having opened for iconic acts such as John Legend, Air Supply, Damian Marley, Beres Hammond, Michael Bolton, Roberta Flack, Sean Paul, Morgan Heritage, Third World and many more. His participation in Gimistory 2022 will be his third time contributing to a CNCF event, where he was also be working with spoken monologue in addition to his musical storytelling.

Stuart Wilson

Jevy Ebanks

Jevy Ebanks is a Caymanian media personality and performer. He began performing at the age of 11 at the National Children’s Festival of the Arts, and was soon invited to take part in the Cayman National Cultural Foundation’s Young at Arts youth theatre company. Here, Jevy’s love for the stage grew and he continued performing annually in YAA shows – including as a show host – and Gimistory, the International Storytelling Festival of the Cayman Islands, and later through CNCF productions. Jevy has had the opportunity to represent the Cayman Islands as an actor in the Caribbean Festival of the Arts (CARIFESTA) in both Barbados and Trinidad. More recently, Jevy graduated with first class honours in Film and Television Production at the University of Bradford in the United Kingdom, and is shortly expected to graduate with his Master’s in Filmmaking. Previously, Jevy was employed as a radio host and news reporter for several local media companies. He now owns and operates local video and audio production company, Jevy Ebanks Productions.

King Navassa is a passionate performer who aims simply to bring joy to people’s lives. Originating from the Cayman Islands, King lives in Manchester, England where he recently appeared on the hit Channel 4 reality series Come Dine with Me and was named by the producers as the funniest guest on the show. He is the first recipient of the Making Waves Award, for his promotion of Caymanian culture through international media. King is very involved with Cayman Connection and currently hosts the Celebrating Caymanians Overseas podcast, which profiles Caymanians living throughout the UK. King can be found spending his time singing centre stage in jazz and blues clubs, and hosting events throughout Manchester. Locally, his voice is still played regularly on Cayman’s radio stations with songs such as Whine Go Down and We Need Love, and he is the former director of the Cayman Islands’ Folk Singers where he produced the vocals for their debut album in 2018.

King Navassa

Martin Keely

Martin Keely grew up in a theatrical family, first appearing on stage when he was five, with many stage appearances during the next 25 years. He was involved in starting several theatre companies in his native Canada and uses his acting skills in his teaching. Outside of storytelling, Martin has been a Wetlander since the late 1980s, when he founded and ran a wetlands education and conservation organization in British Columbia and Northern Washington State, to protect freshwater wetlands and estuaries. On moving to the Brac full time in 1998, he morphed into a Mangroveman, adapting his temperate wetlands programs for use in tropical climes. His love of conservation and storytelling is bridged through his Marvellous Mangroves curriculum-based teaching guide, which has been part of the Cayman primary school curriculum – sponsored by CUC – since 2001. Marvellous Mangroves has now been adapted and translated for use in 17 countries in eight languages.

Camille Angel utilizes her storytelling mostly through the medium of poetry. She writes poetry that blends Caymanian heritage with colourful metaphors, juxtaposing themes of cultural resilience and counter-narratives to the colonial legacies and over-development referenced in her texts. A youth worker by trade, Angel is a former CARICOM Youth Ambassador and a 2022 Rock Retreat participant for emerging children’s book authors. Angel is currently compiling a debut book of poetry, and another of children’s literature. This will be her first year participating in Gimistory.

Camille Angel

Matt Brown

Caymanian Matt Brown is a Caymanian actor, filmmaker, producer, and media personality as well as a public speaker and performer. He has been involved in entertainment in the Cayman Islands, the Caribbean, and US for the past 15 years. He utilises his degree in Professional Recording Arts and Social Studies to write and perform his own music, but holds equal passion for the 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 that is now carried by Tempo networks and is seen in over five million households internationally.

As a Caymanian living overseas, Giselle made great efforts to learn and be involved in programmes that promote Cayman and Caribbean culture. Giselle’s interest in arts and culture of the Cayman Islands led her to CNCF’s inaugural Young at Arts programme, and the Cayman National Dance Company (“Dance Unlimited”). These led her to represent the Cayman Islands in CARIFESTA in 2000 and 2003, and 2019, as well as the 2005 Aberdeen Youth Festival in Scotland for Dance Cayman. Furthermore, she has acted in CNCF’s Rundown from 2009 to 2021, and in previous years she was cast in several other CNCF productions such as Pirate Princess, Moon Over Rainbow Shawl, Downside Side Up, De Honeymoon Over, Fat Chance, and Gimistory, to name a few. Giselle is a passionate thespian, and when not in a show’s cast she has volunteered behind the scenes as stage manager, stagehand and assisted with light and sound for other productions.

Giselle Webb

Why

Revitalizing the art of storytelling, which was the main community entertainment and means of transferring cultural mores before the advent of radio and television, through storytelling workshops in schools and district community centers and the tri-island events of the festival.

By its very nature, the festival celebrates the arts of communication, of talking and listening, and of conveying information, whether lighthearted or profound.

During past years storytellers have done visits to schools, making special presentations to students in each of the three Cayman Islands.

Watch

Gimistory will be live-streamed on our Youtube channel and the recording will be available to view post-event.

Gimistory

International Storytelling Festival

Storytelling is as old as mankind and is considered to be one of the most ancient arts. Professional storytellers come from all over the world telling stories that cultivate their heritage, stories that explore myths and legends, stories that provide laughter, drama and wonderment. Their stories engage audiences to stimulate imagination unlike so many other modern artistic mediums. The storytellers must evoke all of the senses to allow the listeners to visualize the story, the characters and the setting as told. Storytelling celebrates the art of communication, of talking and listening, and of conveying information, whether lighthearted or profound.

When

The Cayman Islands International Storytelling Festival, GIMISTORY, spans from November 25th though December 3rd each year and is the highly anticipated kick-off to the Holiday Season.

Where

Each of the Grand Cayman districts, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman enjoy a FREE night of storytelling at picturesque venues of beaches under the sea grape trees, or at a park or open field under the moonlight. Local and overseas storytellers take to the stage and tell a tall tail or two while the crackle of a wood burning hints at the hot, delicious fried fish and fritters available after the stories.

Who

GIMISTORY is presented by the Cayman National Cultural Foundation as a FREE event for the community and made possible by the generous support of businesses like yours.

The festival brings over 2,500 people together from virtually every sector of Cayman’s multi-generational, multi-national community. In addition to visitors from abroad who return time and again.

Why

Revitalizing the art of storytelling, which was the main community entertainment and means of transferring cultural more before the advent of radio and television through Storytelling workshops in schools and district community centers and the tri-island events of the festivals.

By its very nature, the festival celebrates the arts of communication, of talking and listening, and of conveying information, whether lighthearted or profound.

During the day, storytellers visit schools, making special presentations to students in each of our three Cayman Islands.

Watch

Watch one of our annual Caymanian storytellers Lady Rabia.
Watch David Bereaux and Friends tell some Calypso, which are traditional Caribbean musical folktales.