Dublin: Ireland’s Mermaid Arts Centre and the International Storytelling School of Marrakech inked a memorandum of understanding on Friday, on the sidelines of the YARN Storytelling Festival, taking place on November 8-21 in Bray (south of Dublin), in collaboration with the Moroccan Embassy in Ireland. The MoU is a milestone in the YARN Residency project, a partnership between the Mermaid Arts Centre and the World Storytelling Café in Marrakech, providing an exciting exchange of artist residencies.

According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, speaking at the event, Morocco’s ambassador to Dublin, Lahcen Mahraoui, stressed the importance of promoting art, culture, and partnerships in this field, which help to build bridges between Morocco and Ireland. At the same event, the public was treated to an exceptional performance by storytellers Zouhair Khaznaoui from Morocco and Fiona Dowling from Ireland. Together, they captivated the audience with tales combining Moroccan and Irish oral traditions.

The festival broch
ure noted that the performance was an opportunity to celebrate “the deep bond that exists between Morocco and Ireland, forged by our shared tradition of oral storytelling,” especially since Marrakech is the Capital of Culture of the Islamic World in 2024. The event brought together representatives of the diplomatic corps, Irish figures from the world of arts and culture, academics, members of the Moroccan diaspora, and the Bray community.