ABSTRACT
In 2013, the Singing Storytellers research-creation public outreach project was initiated to study the lives, music and verbal art of bardic traditions across cultures. Singer-songwriters in contemporary popular music traditions have been the focus of scholarship, particularly in popular music studies, and popular discourse. In the case of Singing Storytellers, this included scholars, artist-practitioners, public and educational sector workers, community organizations and tourism and music industry professionals. The study of bards in Singing Storytellers resonates with theoretical interest in ethnomusicology, humanities and social sciences, offering opportunities to consider the importance of the individual in society and the politics of representation. One of the key legacy components of Singing Storytellers was our new production of a core Mande epic, the Sunjata story. The Singing Storytellers Symposium created a hub of activity and myriad opportunities for face-to-face interaction.
