Japanese-born Storyteller Masako Carey has lived in rural Co Antrim since 2001. Masako tells stories in schools, libraries, and community venues with people of all ages and abilities.

As a child Masako always loved reading but also watching animated Japanese folktale stories on TV. The influence of the world of animation combined with her experience as a

kindergarten teacher gives Masako a unique style of telling. Her increasing repertoire of

traditional Japanese tales includes those which are both comical and serious and she also tells tales from around the world.

Masako started telling stories professionally after successfully completing an National Open

College Networ4k Level 2 qualification in oral storytelling taught by her mentor Liz Weir and

local storyteller Stephen O’Hara.

Since then, Masako has performed her stories for adults and children at various events

through the Armstrong Storytelling Trust, Libraries NI, Museums NI, Poetry of Ireland, Mid

and East Antrim and Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council.

She was a featured storyteller at Belfast Mela and the Cape Clear International Storytelling

Festival and was awarded with Ethnic Minority Mentoring and Residential Grant by National

Lottery Fund through Arts Council of Northern Ireland. Masako was mentored by renowned

awarded storyteller Daniel Morden and performed her show of Japanese folktales at the

Black Box in Belfast.

During the pandemic, the demand for Masako’s online storytelling spread worldwide to audiences in India, Singapore, the United States and beyond.

LATEST PERFORMANCE