Kamishibai

Kamishibai, literally “paper theatre”, is a form of storytelling that originated in the Buddhist temples of Japan in the 12th century, where monks used emaki (parchments that combine images with text) to combine stories with moral lessons for largely illiterate audiences. It survived as a form of storytelling for several centuries, but is best known today for its renaissance between 1920 and 1940, when it evolved into a medium through which the unemployed could earn a little money, gradually becoming part and parcel of Japanese children’s culture. The secret of its survival lies in the kiokan, the emotions that are shared between the audience and the performer, related to the story he or she is telling.

This oral tradition of Japan’s rich cultural heritage is being brought to the Veranos de la Villa Festival by Magda Labarga, a storyteller, director and author who has told stories and organised theatre and storytelling workshops in festivals and programmes in Spain, France, Portugal, Uruguay, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Peru, Colombia, Argentina, Mexico, Chile and Cuba.

Kamishibai is a show that combines Japanese graphic art with the country’s stories, legends and traditions. It is intended for family audiences, and particularly for boys and girls aged 3 or more, as well as adults who are keen to enjoy a moment of kiokan.

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