10 November 2017
Collection of stories created by patients at Bristol children's hospital
As part of the Paper Nations creative writing initiative, funded
by the Arts Council, Bath Festivals and Read For Good have teamed
up with storyteller Jennifer Lunnto create a book of stories
written by young patients in Bristol children's hospital.
As founder and artistic director of the Culturcated Theatre
Company, Jennifer Lunn produces and curates a wide range of
creative projects. Story forms the foundation of her practice; she
works extensively with people of all ages to inspire both a passion
for stories and develop storytelling skills.
Working with the charity Read for Good, Jennifer Lunn has been
visiting children in hospitals across the UK for several
years. Her aim has always been to encourage children to be
creative and brighten their day with stories that take them away
from the challenges that many of them are facing. Jennifer
has now teamed up with Bath Festivals and Gloucestershire based
charity, Read For Good to create a book full of imaginative stories
by young patients treated at Bristol children's hospital entitled
'Once Upon A Time…'. The book was recently launch in the
hospital with storytelling and performances of the stories within
the book - The Mystery of the Footprints, Harriet Escapes the Bear
and Lucy and the Lobster. Each of the authors received a copy and
books are also on display in the hospital's school room for
patients and their families to enjoy.
Hazel Plowman, Head of Creative Learning at Bath Festivals, says
"Creative Learning is an integral part of Bath Festivals' mission
which strives for inclusion and accessibility to the arts for all.
It has been a real privilege to work alongside Read for Good on
this project which has enabled children and young people at Bristol
children's hospital to create heart-warming and creative stories in
print for the first time and hopefully inspired them to begin their
own creative writing journeys. We're always happy to work with
other charities who share our goal of giving children and young
people opportunities to work with leading arts professionals, gain
real-world experience, grow passions and interests and create and
produce their own work." As well as supporting the 'Once Upon A
Time...' initiative Bath Festivals recently arranged for Ben
Faulks, more widely know as Mr. Bloom from CBeebies, to come into
Bristol children's hospital to meet the children after his event at
Bath Children's Literature Festival.
Justine Daniels, CEO of Read for Good says "Read for Good is
thrilled and proud to be involved in this collaborative project
that has enabled the young patients of Bristol Children's Hospital
to create wonderfully vivid stories, and see their work actually
published in a booklet that they can share with family and friends.
Stories, reading, writing and illustration are so vital to support
the well-being of children who find themselves in hospital; these
creative outlets provide a means to escape the four walls enabling
children in hospital to go anywhere their imagination takes
them."
Working in partnership
Bath Festivals deliver a year round programme of music and
literature projects which give children and young people
opportunities to work with leading arts professionals, gain
real-world experience, grow passions and interests, gain access to
cultural events and create and produce their own events.
Working in partnership allows Bath Festivals to learn more, to
reach further and to have more impact on the young people they work
with.
Find out more here: https://bathfestivals.org.uk/learning-participation/
Read for Good is a charity whose vision is for all children in
the UK to be given the opportunity, space and motivation to develop
their own love of reading, benefiting them throughout their lives -
for good.
Find out more here: http://readforgood.org
Funded by Arts Council England, Paper Nations is a
strategic hub, investigating good practice and barriers to writing
support for young people. Through our research and development we
want to engage young people, parents, educators, writers and the
publishing industry in a dialogue about the future of writing in
England.
Find out more here: http://papernations.org
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