An interactive storytelling celebration that engages the social emotional learning competencies. Using folktales, original songs, and chants the audiences participate in call and response stories that impart self-awareness, social awareness, building of relationship skills, responsible decision making and self management. Audiences walk away rhythmically singing, “I take my time and think about it.”
Interactive stories accompanied by music include “The Empty Pot,” Demi (self-awareness), “My name is Sangoel,” Karen Lynn Williams (social awareness), “Sometimes I am Bombaloo,” Yumi Heo (self-management), “One,” Kathryn Otoshi (Relationship Building), “The Honest-to-Goodness Truth,” Patricia McKissack (Responsible Decision-making). For pre-school and K only, alternative stories include, Queen Nur’s version of “The Lion and the Mouse” (self-awareness), and “Little Bear” (social awareness).
Artist Background
Karen “Queen Nur” Abdul-Malik is a nationally renown storyteller, teaching artist and folklorist . Sharing her gift, and accompanied by International jazz drummer Dwight James, she has performed in venues from the Opening of the Smithsonian NAAMCH to Equity Theater on Broadway, to the National Black Storytelling Festival. Traveling abroad Queen has presented for the U.S. Embassy in Cameroon and PANAFEST in Ghana. She is the Emcee for the NEA National Heritage Fellowship Awards Concert (2019-2020). Queen has been awarded MidAtlantic Artist as Catalyst Grants for her work with Teens-at-Risk and Women’s Shelters and the National Storytelling Brimstone Grant for her innovative community-based programs. In 2018, she received the NJ Governor’s Teaching Artist Award and was YANJEP Artist of the Year. Queen has her MA in Cultural Sustainability from Goucher College.
Search Criteria
- Program Type: Performance
- Discipline: Storytelling
- Cultural Context: African, African-American, Asian, European
- Accepts bookings in Johnston County
