St. John's Storytelling Festival: Elder Alex Saunders
Date: Oct 16
7:00 pm
- 8:00 pm
Where: Theatre
Storytelling Festival
Join us for an engaging storytelling session with Inuit Elder Alex Saunders, whose captivating storytelling is rooted in Inuit, Innu, and Labrador traditions. A Q&A will follow.
Tickets: $12 ( plus HST). Free for Rooms Members. Get your tickets online or by calling (709 )757-8090.
About the Speaker:
Alex Saunders, born in the original hamlet of Davis Inlet in 1940, is an Inuit Elder of mixed ancestry, with Innu and British Heritage. Though naturally gifted in storytelling, Alex only recently embraced his passion for writing. His work is dedicated to preserving the stories, traditions, and culture of the Inuit, while also offering insight into the adventurous spirit of Labrador’s Indigenous communities.
Alex was awarded the Lawrence Jackson Writers Award in 2017 for History of My Fishing Life. In 2016, he received the Northern Public Affairs Emerging Writers Award, and in 2020, he won the Percy Janes First Novel Award.
Today's Events & Programs
Newfoundland Folk Holiday Performance – Fergus O'Byrne & Jim Payne
Continue the festive spirit with a delightful holiday performance featuring Fergus O'Byrne and Jim Payne!
Immerse yourself in the warmth of Newfoundland folk culture, including traditional Christmas carols, rousing sea shanties and work songs, poignant ballads, comic ditties, folk tales and recitations, and toe-tapping jigs, reels, and polkas on a variety of instruments.
Cost: Free. A ticket is required. Reserve your free ticket online or by calling (709) 757-8090.
About the Performers:
Jim Payne – From Notre Dame Bay, Jim is a leading performer on accordion and a collector of Newfoundland traditional music. He is one of the province’s most prolific songwriters and has created soundtracks for theatre, plays, and documentaries. Jim also owns and operates SingSong Inc., Newfoundland’s largest traditional music label with fourteen available titles, dedicated to music, story, song, and dance reflecting the Newfoundland experience.
Fergus O'Byrne – Originally from Dublin, Ireland, Fergus became a familiar voice on radio and television from 1971 to 1983 as a member of the renowned folk group Ryan's Fancy. He now tours nationally and internationally with Jim Payne and A Crowd Of Bold Sharemen and is recognized for promoting Newfoundland and Celtic music while mentoring young folk music enthusiasts.
Beaumont-Hamel and the Trail of the Caribou
In this exhibition, find out about the impacts of the First World War on Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and how events overseas dramatically altered our lives at home.
Each tour is approximately 30 – 40 minutes and is included in the cost of admission. Free for Rooms members.