Oba William King

I began presenting school assembly and library programs as a local actor in Chicago's Community Theaters. As a new artist, I applied for and won a Master / Apprentice Arts Council grant to study the art of storytelling with native Illinois Artist Oscar Brown Jr. With the opportunity to train with a true master of the arts and a cultural icon I began to use learned techniques to produce and present interactive storytelling performances, booking programs across Illinois and Midwest through my listing in the Arts Tour Roster. I joined the National Storytelling Circuit and was invited to perform at the International Storytelling Center in Jonesborough, Tn. Through support from IAC - I was recruited by The Sun Foundation in Peoria, Il and for 12 years I have been a featured Teaching Artist for Arts and Science in the Woods, and The Clean Water Celebration. The contacts and connections developed through these engagements have allowed me to visit small towns, locals schools, and public libraries throughout the state of Illinois since 1996. Traditional Folk Artist, Interactive Storyteller, Teaching Artist, and Master Cultural Arts presenter. I offer programs for all ages, incorporating original poetry, stories, music, spoken word, and story songs.

My interactive performances, introducing/utilizing call and response - over the years i have developed programming that engages the audience, especially to capture the attention of the young listeners, teaching educational skills through entertaining activities, approximately 20 years of experience as a touring/teaching artist. My video sample #1 I included a segment of storytelling activity with an audience of seasoned adults- i am blessed to be able to reach older listeners with programs I call "Spinning a Yarn" which stimulates the listeners to opine with their own favorite stories and memories. As an Illinois Arts Council Traditional Folk Arts Fellowship recipient i take exceptional care to fine tune my presentations to fit the program theme, age and diversity of the gathered audience

Available Areas: North, West, Central, East, South, Chicago Metro

Core Audiences: Children, General

Contact