By Sirrah Touray
The inaugural Professor Cherno Omar Barry storytelling competition has successfully concluded at the National Museum, marking a significant milestone in cultural preservation and promotion.
The event brought together eleven contestants from The Gambia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone, who showcased their storytelling talents after a month of intensive workshops in story writing and oral storytelling.
In his closing remarks, Professor Cherno Omar Barry expressed deep appreciation to the participants and organisers, emphasising that storytelling is a powerful tool for teaching, cultural identity, and social change.
He lauded the support from key partners including the National Centre for Arts and Culture, the Film Producers Association, the Writers Association, Youth Empowerment Project, Yunus Emre Institute, and the Embassies of Turkey and China.
He disclosed that the Chinese Embassy contributed $150,000 to support the hosting of the competition.
The competition, which included rigorous training and mentoring, aims to modernise and rebrand storytelling as a cultural asset in The Gambia.
According to the organisers, there are plans to transform the competition into an academy for storytellers and writers to nurture talent and promote cultural heritage.
The ceremony also featured remarks from the Chinese Ambassador Liu Jin, who shared a traditional story spanning generations to underscore the event’s purpose of preserving cultural knowledge through storytelling.
Judges commended the contestants’ courage and creativity, highlighting the competition’s international dimension and its role in cultural exchange between African countries.
Certificates and awards were presented to participants bringing an end to a event that organisers hope will grow into a lasting cultural movement.
