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Projects
PresidentStorytellersUnion The Storytellers Union for Cultural Innovation and Art of Storytelling The Storytellers Union is a non-governmental, non-profit organization founded in 2022 in Marrakech, shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic. Its core mission is to support and revive the art of storytelling in Morocco by creating opportunities for artists to learn, connect, and collaborate. The Union aims to build a strong cultural movement that deepens the relationship between storytellers and their communities, while promoting storytelling as a living and evolving practice rooted in Moroccan heritage.
MarrakechStorytellinfFestivalFounder Marrakech International Storytelling Festival - MAWSSIM AL HIKAYAT Marrakech International Storytelling Festival - Mawssim AL Hikayat - is a global cultural event co-founded by the Storytellers Union, in collaboration with World Storytelling Café. The festival brings together storytellers from across the world to celebrate the universality of the art form in Marrakech over seven days and seven nights. The festival honors Morocco's thousand-year-old oral tradition while creating a space for intercultural dialogue, learning, and inspiration.
StorytellingSchoolFounder International Storytelling School of Marrakech International Storytelling School of Marrakech is an innovative approach, founded and directed by Zouhair Khaznaoui, to ensure the sustainability of the art of storytelling in Marrakech and Morocco. ISSM is the very first school of its kind in the MEA region: a performing arts school that focuses on incubating the next generation of professional storytellers in Marrakech. It combines both traditional methods of transmitting culture and tradition and innovative contemporary approaches in its training programs.
FounderFanousProd Fanous Prod Fanous Prod is an art and entertainment agency that innovates and reinterprets the art of storytelling in a way that respects and honors the cultural heritage of the locals, while also providing an authentic and immersive experience for both locals and travelers.
HejayaProject Project Hejaya Hejaya is an innovative project that aims to reinterpret the surreal art of storytelling in a contemporary approach that preserves the traditional elements of a storytelling Halq'a (circle) while enhancing the experience with modern graphic design elements. The project is led and pioneered by two artists and Culture & Art Entrepreneurs from Marrakech: Zouhair Khaznaoui and Yassin Ketman (Founder).
MarrakechStorytellingResidency AL MUJAWARA Residency The Mujawara is an international gathering of storytellers, organized by the Storytellers Union for Cultural Innovation and the Art of Storytelling. The Mujawara is an ongoing initiative that aims to strengthen storytelling as an educational and cultural tool, support teacher training, promote oral heritage, and develop long-term artistic collaborations. It plays a key role in positioning Marrakech as a global center for storytelling and supports the International Storytelling School in training Morocco's next generation of storytellers.
TalesAcrossBordersJPG Tales Across Borders Tales Across Borders was a year-long series of storytelling and artistic events held throughout 2024 in Marrakech, which was honored as the Capital of Culture in the Islamic World for that year. Curated by Zouhair Khaznaoui and organized by The Storytellers Union in partnership with the Moroccan Ministry of Culture, the project welcomed international storytellers each month of the year from diverse cultural regions around the world. Tales Across Borders aimed to connect Morocco to global storytelling practices and introduce renowned storytellers to the thousand-year-old oral heritage of Marrakech.

Live Events Playlist Beyond the live events and performances, Zouhair added a critical layer to the project—documenting each artist's voice and vision through a dedicated podcast series. These conversations responded to a glaring absence of online resources about storytelling practitioners worldwide.

Podcast Playlist
StorytellingforchildrenMarrakech Hikaya Project Hikaya Project, created and initiated by Zouhair Khaznaoui, aims to integrate storytelling as a powerful tool for education, with a focus on fostering creativity, empowerment, and cultural preservation. By building a network of teachers, students, and professional storytellers, the program enhances classroom learning, strengthens community engagement, and promotes a sustainable, inclusive educational framework.
Performances and Residencies