Two mischievous and messy tiny people disappear from the pages of a mysterious picture book… Where might they be?
This is A Small Tale, an innovative teacher-led storytelling experience for primary school children that aims to ignite and inspire a passion for writing whilst raising standards in reading, speaking and listening. It will be brought to 15 Irish primary schools in 2021.
The project is a collaboration between the Galway based Baboró International Arts Festival for Children, and Punchdrunk Enrichment, a charity creating transformational theatre for education, community and family audiences.
.
A Small Tale: A Teacher-Led Adventure, created by Punchdrunk Enrichment associate director Tara Boland, will involve a teacher, and their class, reading a ‘mysterious old picture book’ about two mischievous people who love stories. However, when they return to the book the following day the pages are all blank, except for two sets of tiny footprints. The schoolchildren will then discover the characters have escaped. Will the pupils be able to get them back to safety?
'This project has a track record of making a big impact: getting pupils excited about writing'
Aislinn O’hEocha, the executive artistic director of Baboró is inviting children to “suspend disbelief” as they host two tiny adventurous characters in their school.
“Punchdrunk Enrichment has wowed audiences across the world with their unique brand of storytelling, and we’re very excited to begin this new partnership by bringing A Small Tale to Ireland for the first time,” she said.
.
“This project has a track record of making a big impact: getting pupils excited about writing and engaging teachers in new creative ways to deliver learning,” says Peter Higgin, artistic director of Punchdrunk Enrichment.
A Small Tale is the first fruit of a new, three year, artistic partnership between Baboró and Punchdrunk. The partnership will include teacher training for at least 15 teachers a year, plus training for two local artists who will be immersed in Punchdrunk’s practice and work with teachers and schools in the delivery of the programme. Galway theatre makers, Eileen Gibbons and Sorcha Ní Chrónín, will be working with Baboró on this project.
