Thursday 8 November 2012

Workshops and Storytelling: Fake Fur and Crocodiles Under the Floor...





Last week I helped open a fabulous, state-of-the-art museum / library in Wakefield. I did  storytelling with the local kids and they created some 'smelly' illustrations of their own, based on Stinky! 


Afterwards, I got a tour of their new exhibition spaces. They have David Attenborough no less, coming to open the museum area, with its collection of weird and wonderful stuffed animals (including an actual crocodile imprisoned under the glass floor!). 


It was quite a busy week, as the Wednesday was Bag-a-Book Day. I spent a totally crazy day with poet Paul Cookson, entertaining looked-after-children. It was even more bonkers than last year. I got the children creating funky, animal collages out of fake fur and Paul helped them make up funny poems. Then we cross-fertilised: I illustrated the poems on the flipchart, and Paul wrote poems about my drawings. Every now and then we would break into song. All good fun (though I was totally shattered at home time!).



This week, I did another of my 'creating stories through illustration' workshops in Nottingham. I've got nine more days to come, repeating the same event in different schools. There's a 2 week break first, although not really, since between now and then I am visiting a couple of primary schools in Leeds, then travelling up to the North East for 3 days at the Northern Children's Book Festival, including a joint Gala Day event with my friend and picture book collaborator, Julia Jarman.


Phew! Where on earth will I find the energy for Christmas?

1 comment:

dinahmow said...

Just the sort of day that I used to love when i was doing remedial reading and reading instruction. Except that my drawings were pretty cock-eyed!