Csenge Zalka

Artist - Csenge Zalka

We are so pleased to welcome Csenge Zalka, who has been described as Hungary’s first international storyteller. She travels the world, sharing Hungarian folktales with her audiences (in English, Spanish and Hungarian), and takes all the stories she learns back home to Hungary. As well as a performer, she is an author and has presented two TEDxBudapest events the last one at the Sgizet Festival.

At Beyond the Border Festival 2023 she will be performing and delivering:

Garabonciás School: Hungarian folktales of wizards, shamans, and witches
(Ideal for family audiences)

The world of Hungarian folktales overflows with magic. Garabonciás wizards riding dragons, wise girls transforming into flames, iron-nosed hags lurking in the woods… They all make an appearance in this storytelling event. How do you tame a dragon? Where have all the fairies gone? What if a witch’s daughter does not want to become a witch herself? Join us for the afternoon, and storyteller Csenge Virág Zalka will tell you all the answers!

Feminist folktales: Old stories for contemporary audiences (Workshop)
Representation in storytelling is just as important as it is in the media. Who our heroes are, and how we portray them in our stories, leaves a lasting impression on people. This workshop teaches beginner and advanced storytellers how to find tales that diversify their repertoire along feminist themes.

Dancing on Blades: Rare tales from the Carpathian Mountains (For families and grown ups)
More than one hundred years ago, in the Carpathian Mountains there lived a talented and unique storyteller called Pályuk Anna. This performance brings to life the most beautiful folktales collected from her. Anna’s stories are filled with magic and wonder: people walk on clouds, trees talk and elect kings, fairies fall in love with humans, pigs fly, and kindness can save kingdoms. These rare tales represent a mixture of cultures from Transcarpathia, as well as the power of a storyteller’s endless imagination.