Group Storywriting

Duration: 2 hours Schools/3 hours Community Group*
Age: 7 – 11
Location: School Classroom or Bournemouth University
Suitable Group Numbers: School Class 30/Community Group 20 max.
Staff to Child Ratio: 1:5

Workshop details:

Participants are encouraged to use their imagination to write a story together, in response to prompts given by the session leader. As they come up with ideas, the story takes shape on a large screen in front of them and the class can watch as an illustrator creates live artwork to accompany it.

In the second half of the session, the children work in small groups, aided by a writing mentor, to write and complete the second half of the story. They are also encouraged to add pictures to their story which, when completed, they share with the class. Each child goes away with a printed booklet of their story and illustrations – and their picture, as author, on the back cover.

Duration: 2 hours 15
Age: 7 – 11
Location: Poole Gateway Building, Bournemouth University
Suitable Group Numbers: School Class of 16.
Staff to Child Ratio: 1:4

WORKSHOP DETAILS:

Using the green screen studio at Bournemouth University the class will write their own script and make a short film using green screen technology. Guided by The Story Works volunteers the class will use their imagination to create and film their unique vision.

Comic Workshop

Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes
Age: 7 – 18
Location: School Classroom/Bournemouth University
Suitable Group Numbers: School Class of 30/Community Group 20 max.
Staff to Child Ratio: 1:5

Workshop details:

Chapter one – ‘explanation and inspiration’ section
We explain what we’re doing and show inspirational examples of comics and the different forms they can take on. With a run through of the basic design principles of comics, e.g. comic panel structure, camera angles, stories.

Chapter two – ‘mini comic challenge’ section
We give them hand-outs of pre-printed pieces of paper that have three comic box squares. The challenge is that they have to create a story, a sequence of three images that show something happening.

Chapter three – ‘Character, scene, story’ section
The children come up with a character, a scene, and a short story that can easily be condensed into a couple of sentences. This could also just be character speech.

Chapter four – ‘Creating the comic’ section
The children create their comic, beginning with the comic panel structure and from there they can illustrate their stories using their pre-written couple of sentences or character speech. The session ends with each child sharing their comic