A programme to commemorate ‘World Story Telling Day’ was on Thursday held in Bolgatanga to encourage storytelling in the communities and in schools.

The event, which was dubbed ‘Bolga Tells’ was funded by Sagobygden Foundation in Sweden and had the world celebration theme of, “ Trees, dream big, and let everyone know about your plans”.

It was aimed at inspiring children to embrace the art of storytelling.

Mrs Prisca Na’abome Yenzie, Programme Officer, Ghana Museums and Monument Board (GMMB) said the art of telling oral stories was dormant in communities. She said, telling stories at homes in the night was a way of teaching children how to conform to social life behaviours.

Mrs Na’abome Yenzie said, story telling was fading off and blamed it on the proliferation of video centres as well as the growing interest in television viewing in the country.

Mrs Yenzie said a survey conducted in the region by her and two other colleagues from Kulturverkstan, in Sweden and the Centre for National Culture in Bolgatanga (CNC), indicated that children were no longer interested in oral story telling.

She was not happy that this year’s event was only attended by children and called on the adult population to also participate since it provided the children the opportunity to learn from them.

Children who participated told stories of Trees, Youth and healthy life styles and also advice on avoiding early sex.**