Waterside Primary Publishing House
A pop-up book cart in Chesham showcasing five picture books created by Years 2, 3, 4 and 5, and a group of teachers for The Roald Dahl Museum.
Over two months, 96 students and 4 teachers turned their school into a publishing house. The five stories seem to describe an imagined dream world, but after closer reading its clear the narratives and characters are specific to the magic found in Chesham. The five books came from creative walks around Chesham, spotting local magic such as a giant-size tea cup above a cafe, a dragon in the pub and a sparkle on the river than just might be an alien fairy. The book cart was co-designed with the young people, and built by technician Mike Goddard.
Pick A Pathway / Story Bazaar
An interactive, double sided picture book made with 60 Year 4 students at Abbots Hall Community Primary School with Jubilant Festival and The Food Museum in 2023.
The book follows two characters, a bat-boy and a sausage dog, each embarking on parallel quests into alternative futures. Every creative decision, both frame narratives, all the stories, both introductory letters and all the artwork has been done by the students. This project spanned two months as part of Stowmarket’s Jubilant Festival of youth creativity, and included immersive story-making in the children's classrooms, and quest-finding at the Food Museum. Handmade books were showcased with Marion Leeper at the East Anglian Storytelling Festival, with the Year 4 students kicking off the event with a buzzy 'Story Bazaar'.
Our Stories Live Here
A picture book made with primary school students, young people who attend SENSE centres in Rotherham and families working with REMA (Rotherham Ethnic Minority Alliance) in 2022 for Clifton Park Museum.
The kitchen-focused stories, illustrations and characters in this book came directly from the young people, families and adults who took part in workshops and creative consultation from December - February 2022. At the start of the project, I sent activity packs to 4 families and 60 school children to explore stories in their own kitchens, before meeting with them to develop the book together. With support from community leaders in Rotherham and Clifton Partnership, the book includes a wide range of childhood memories based around food, as well as phrases translated into Polish, Roma, Urdu and Arabic.
I See A Family
A picture book made with 10 Norwich families in August 2021 during a 6 month writing residency at Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery.
Alongside a medieval ‘poppet’ doll, the books will be available in kit bags for families to use as navigation devices around the galleries. The kits are designed to prompt play, conversations about objects, coming up with new stories and general messing about!
Alfred’s Adventure in the Children’s City
A picture book developed with families from North Cambridge and Imogen Alexander in Spring 2020 for Kettle’s Yard.
The 8 week project ‘Play and Picture books’ was delivered with Kettle’s Yard and The Red Hen Project and was funded by Talking Together in Cambridgeshire. The book has been gifted to participating families and is now sold in the Kettle’s Yard shop.
