Spoken Word: Community Conversations & Presentations (Statesville Heritage Festival)

As part of the Statesville Heritage Festival, we have included a Community Conversations & Presentations portion.

Throughout the day, the Media Room will host educational presentations, demonstrations, and community conversations designed to share stories, traditions, and perspectives from across our community.

Current Schedule:

• 10:00am-11:00am: Statesville Recreation & Economic Vitality - Community Forum

• 11:00am-11:30am: Ryan Shah – Demonstration of the Tabla (Hindustani percussion instrument) and history of the Tala theory

• 11:30am-12:00pm: Iredell County Public Library – Crimes of the Carolina’s Podcast with Shellie Taylor

• 12:00pm-12:30pm: Iredell County Public Library – Green Street Cemetery Project

• 12:30pm-1:00pm: Spoken Word
• Join us for an inspiring Spoken Word session featuring 3–4 local poets, storytellers, and spoken word artists as they share their unique perspectives through the art of performance. Coordinated by local storyteller and author Derick Lee, whose Stream of Consciousness series includes Hoodie Season Volumes I & II, this session celebrates the power of words, creativity, and community while showcasing a diverse collection of voices and stories that are sure to entertain, inspire, and spark conversation.

• 1:00pm-1:30pm: Alfonso Reyes – Impact of Latino culture on Statesville

• 1:30pm-2:00pm: Full Bloom Film Festival (2 award winning films and a Q&A with Festival Staff)

• 2:00pm-2:30pm: Tedx Speaker, Mayuko Fukino-Mayhill – Traditional Japanese stories and folklores

• 2:30pm-3:00pm: Carolinas Asian American Chamber of Commerce – Beyond the American Dream: The State of Asian Americans in the Carolinas

• 3:00pm-3:30pm: Seifullah & Mahasin El-Amin – Q & A on the Muslim community in Statesville

Additional presentations and discussion sessions will be announced as they are confirmed.

Statesville Heritage Festival

📅 Saturday, August 1, 2026

🕝 10AM - 4PM

📍 Statesville Event Center

💲 FREE Admission

🔗 Learn more about the Statesville Heritage Festival: recreation.statesvillenc.net/heritage-festival