As part of the summer cultural agenda curated by the Ministry of Culture and Arts, the city of Annaba will host the Storyteller’s Caravan this Thursday, July 23. The event is integrated into the “Once Upon a Time” initiative, a project aimed at encouraging literacy and introducing younger generations to Algeria’s rich oral traditions.
Organized in partnership with the Algerian Agency for Cultural Outreach (AARC), the Directorate of Culture and Arts for the Annaba province, and the “Barakat Slimane” Main Public Reading Library, this event will deliver a cultural evening designed for children and families.
The initial phase of the caravan will unfold at Ain Achir Beach, where a mobile library unit will welcome visitors starting at 8:30 p.m. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore an outdoor reading section before enjoying a live storytelling performance, offering youngsters an immersive journey into traditional folklore.
The festivities will then shift to the Ain Achir youth camp, where a second storytelling session is scheduled to begin at 9:30 p.m. This initiative serves to bring literary resources directly to holidaymakers, boost reading habits during the vacation season, and support the safeguarding of intangible heritage by passing the art of narrative down to future generations.
Concurrently, the “Mustapha-Nettour” Main Public Reading Library in Constantine coordinated an assortment of educational, cultural, and recreational workshops for children to mark Children’s Day on July 15.
This commemoration, woven into the 2026 summer leisure and cultural itinerary, provided a diverse suite of events engineered to inspire reading habits, stimulate creative thinking, and elevate oral heritage among youth.
A series of displays launched the event, including one exclusively focused on children’s literature, a setup designed to showcase the library’s deep archive for young readers. The young attendees explored science textbooks, reference encyclopedias, comic strips, youth fiction, religious texts, traditional fables, and the historical biography series “The Great Figures of Algeria.”
An additional exhibit highlighted the artistic pieces created by youth during previous workshop sessions. Sketches, handmade crafts, and written compositions reflecting the capacity and creativity of the young contributors were presented.
Furthermore, a literary tournament dubbed “The Story Begins at the Library” challenged youth to build their composition and expression abilities, while a separate puzzle and strategic games workshop targeted cognitive growth through play. Another artistic seminar titled “Paint with the Colors of Summer” offered participants a platform for free expression to showcase their creative imaginations.
A dedicated storytelling seminar, operating under the banner “Once Upon a Time,” concluded the program. This final session transported the young audience into the realm of the traditional folk legend “Bent El Ghoul.”