ATCHAFALAYA NARRATIVE STAGE

One of the main purposes of the Rougarou Fest is to celebrate and pass on the traditions and folklore of our region as we begin to address the impacts of climate change on our bayou communities.  We view the festival as a trunk of these traditions that we are able to lift up and move to higher ground when necessary.   This enables us to protect these treasures that are interwoven into our identity and sense of place.

The Atchafalaya Narrative Stage, also known as a Talk Stage or a Storytelling Stage, is our way of sharing these traditions and folklore with the rest of our community and with visitors to the area.  The format is very similar to a guest speaker or a panel of speakers that discuss a particular topic or demonstrate a particular tradition while a moderator facilitates the conversation and allows for questions from the audience.

This year’s narrative stage is supported by the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area, a division of the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism.

This Narrative Stage was first produced by the Bayou Culture Collaborative, a program of the Louisiana Division of the Arts Folklife Program and the Louisiana Folklore Society. For more information about the Bayou Culture Collaborative, please visit www.louisianafolklife.org/bayouculture.

Culture and Climate Conversations

The Bayou Culture Collaborative will host Culture and Climate Conversations at this year’s Rougarou Fest on the Atchafalaya Narrative Stage. Culture and Climate Conversations is a series of community discussions intended to raise awareness about the cultural impact of the state’s environmental changes . Through the series, community members will explore how climate shifts and rapid land loss are affecting arts, heritage, and traditions. Culture and Climate Conversations is funded through a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional support from the Louisiana Folklore Society.

Restoration on the Half Shell

Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL) is partnering with Rougarou Fest this year to bring its Restoration on the Half Shell program to Terrebonne Parish!  Restoration on the Half Shell is an interactive “mini-conference” experience, ideal for anyone who is looking to enhance their knowledge of Louisiana’s land loss crisis. The conference presents relevant, timely information that can benefit a wide array of attendees from many backgrounds including community members, artists, scientists, policy-makers, planners, business interests, landowners, students and YOU. CRCL will highlight its Oyster Shell Recycling Program through a kid’s art activity and an information station at the festival. Restoration on the Half Shell sessions will be held at the Atchafalaya Narrative Stage and will include an update on CRCL’s programs and an engaging community panel discussion.