Colourful characters will come to life this week as storytellers from Newfoundland and Labrador, other parts of Canada, and around the world gather for the 4th annual St. John�s Storytelling Festival, to be launched tonight at the Ship Pub, beginning at 9:30 p.m.

Presented by the Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Arts Council, the November 7-11 festival is a five-day celebration of the art and tradition of storytelling. The event has been a success in the past and is growing in popularity each year.

The Honourable Clyde Jackman, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, said a great deal of this province�s culture and heritage has been preserved through oral tradition and the art of recitation.

"The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is proud to support an event which celebrates our past and helps develop new storytelling traditions which encourage future generations to keep alive a cherished art form that has deep roots within our culture," Minister Jackman said.

Well-known local entertainers Dale Jarvis, Andy Jones, Anita Best and Kelly Russell are just a few of the storytellers who will be sharing their talents in the days ahead. While traditional Newfoundland and Labrador stories will be a major focus of the event, the festival will also include international artists, such as The Telling Theatre from Denmark and Davy Cooper from the Shetland Islands.

The Storytelling Festival includes additional programming, workshops and professional development opportunities for local artists.

For more information on Storytelling Festival schedule of events, visit the Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Arts Council Web site at www.nlfolk.com.

The Provincial Government has more than doubled its annual investment in culture and heritage initiatives since 2003. In 2006, the Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation released: Creative Newfoundland and Labrador � The Blueprint for Development and Investment in Culture, which was accompanied by a commitment of $17.6 million in new funding to the culture and heritage sectors over a three-year period.

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