Magic of Tales Festival: Storytelling Meeting and Apacuka Concert in Berehovo
The civil organization Pro Cultura Subcarpathica, in cooperation with the Kalló Foundation, organized the storytelling meeting for the ninth time and the Magic of Tales Festival for the second time in Berehove. This year, the event expanded to two days, offering colorful programs for children on September 30 and October 1 at the Ferenc Rákóczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian University.
At the storytelling meeting, 116 enthusiastic participants took the stage to tell their chosen tales. The event opened with a story by Eszter Zámborszky, storyteller, story pedagogue, and member of the Csűrdöngölő Cultural Association, performed at the fairy-tale well in the college’s backyard.
In the opening speeches, György Balogh, Consul of Hungary’s Consulate in Berehove, emphasized the importance of storytelling, while Ildikó Orosz, President of Rákóczi University, recalled the significance and history of the fairy-tale well. The idea came from Sándor Kányádi, the Kossuth Prize-winning Hungarian poet from Transylvania, who dreamed that every teacher- and kindergarten-teacher training institute should have such a well. Based on this idea, the Transcarpathian sculptor Endre Hidi Jr. created the fairy-tale well located in the university courtyard.
The storytellers were judged by a professional jury in seven categories. While the children performed their tales, accompanying teachers and parents were treated to a story presented by members of the Csűrdöngölő Cultural Association. Afterwards, the children could take part in handicraft workshops held in the university atrium.
Before the award ceremony, the Storytelling Suitcase Company presented an interactive performance of the tale The Stone Soup.
Each participant received a certificate and a gift package, while those awarded gold, silver, or bronze distinctions were presented with valuable gift vouchers.
Results of the Storytelling Meeting:
Category I – 8 years old
Gold: Noel Szanyi
Silver: Kamilla Petrás
Bronze: Csenge Katalin Csucsi
Category II – 9 years old
Gold: Antal Neubauer
Silver: Hanna Vascsák
Bronze: Arabella Árva
Category III – 10 years old
Gold: Maximilián Baranyi
Silver: Fanni Molnár
Bronze: Máté Kristóf Kozák
Special Prize of the Association of Hungarian Large Families in Transcarpathia: Vanda Kálnyicka, Noémi Bak, Sámuel Pónitz
Category IV – 11 years old
Gold: Maxim Kulikovszky
Silver: Petra Bakó
Bronze: Lilla Gajdos
Category V – 12–13 years old
Gold: Alen Szegedi
Silver: Emma Szilágyi
Bronze: Liliána Kiss
KMNE Special Prize: Katalin Juhász
Category VI – 14–15 years old
Gold: Dominik Demjén
Silver: Fruzsina Szabó
Bronze: Patrícia Pallagi
Category VII – 16–17 years old
Gold: Hanna Demeter
Silver: Dániel Mondik
Bronze: Ákos Kovács
On the second day of the Magic of Tales Festival, audiences first enjoyed another interactive performance by the Storytelling Suitcase Company, which presented The Bear and the Cat. Afterwards, the Hungarian children’s band Apacuka gave a concert. Nearly 300 people took part in the program.
The Magic of Tales Festival was made possible with the support of the MOL New Europe Foundation.
