Inua Ellams joins Hastings Storytelling Festival
Inua Ellams, the poet, playwright and performer, has a unique storytelling style which bridges cultures and histories, making him a significant voice in contemporary literature and performance. Hastings Storytelling Festival (supported by the Bright Foundation) welcomes Ellams’ show Search Party to The Benbow Arts Space on 25 October from 7pm. Audiences will be invited to suggest any word, and based on these prompts, Ellams will select from his vast collection of works to perform, making the show both spontaneous and unique.
As an artist and patron, Ellams has been involved with the Hastings Storytelling Festival since 2013, when he performed and led a writing workshop. Midnight Run, a signature artistic project combining storytelling, walking, and community engagement, featured in 2016 and 2018. This event transformed urban spaces into immersive and interactive storytelling experiences, aligning with the festival’s mission of blending art with community culture. His work, focused on themes like migration and identity, resonates with the inclusive spirit of the festival while his storytelling style fuses African oral traditions with contemporary British theatre and poetry, a blend of cultural traditions which makes his storytelling deeply resonant in Hastings. Its long history of cultural exchange and migration, and its connection with fishing, trade, and, more recently, immigration, have all shaped the town’s identity. Ellams’ work speaks to the lived experiences of many in the town and beyond.
Born in Nigeria in 1984, Inua Ellams moved to the UK as a child, an experience that shaped much of his creative work. His work frequently addresses themes of identity, migration, and belonging, navigating the spaces between Africa and the Western world. He straddles multiple artistic disciplines, drawing on his background in visual arts, poetry, and theatre to create powerful narratives that resonate across boundaries of race, culture, and language.
Ellams first gained critical attention with his debut play, The 14th Tale, which premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2009 and later transferred to the National Theatre in London. The semi-autobiographical monologue blended poetry and performance, laying the foundation for his career as a playwright and storyteller. Since then, Ellams has continued to push boundaries with his plays, including Barber Shop Chronicles, An Evening with an Immigrant, and Three Sisters, an adaptation of Chekhov’s classic, transposed into the context of Nigeria during the Biafran War. He is also a noted poet, publishing collections such as Thirteen Fairy Negro Tales and The Half-God of Rainfall, which seamlessly combines mythology, oral storytelling, and contemporary themes of masculinity, power, and trauma.
Hastings Storytelling Festival (HSF) is an annual event that brings together storytellers, performers, and artists from diverse traditions to celebrate the power of narrative. Since its inception in 2011, HSF has provided a platform for multicultural stories and voices, inviting performers from all over the world to share tales that challenge, inspire, and connect people. Festival events range from family-friendly performances like Children’s Day on 27 October to grown up nights out like Triple Harmonies at the White Rock on 1 November, featuring Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus, Barefoot Opera and Black Voices, all events aimed at highlighting the different ways in which stories can be told and experienced.
More information about the festival: hastingsstoryfest.org.uk/2024
“Inua Ellams is an important part of the Hastings Storytelling Festival. His presence has enriched our Festival, inspiring and engaging audiences year after year.” — Sandra Garner, Chair of the Hastings Storytelling Festival.
“Inua Ellams’ participation in the Hastings Storytelling Festival is not just an artistic collaboration, it is a powerful statement about the role of storytelling in bridging cultures and fostering understanding, His involvement with the Hastings Storytelling Festival is a testament to his ability to engage audiences with narratives that are both deeply personal and universally resonant, and it promises to be a highlight of the Festival’s 2024 programme” – Mandy Curtis, 18 Hours, Hastings Storytelling Festival Producer
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