Bard School
For schools I offer Bard School in which pupils learn how to tell their own story working up the bard levels to develop storytelling, oracy, literacy and performance skills.
Mini Bards (EYFS & KS1) - Storytelling sessions that introduce children to the rhythms and themes found in the oral storytelling tradition in order to build a foundation for future bards, with the option to create simple shadow puppets as part of this workshop.
Level 1 (KS2)
This 40 minute workshop builds on the stories and rhythms pupils learnt as Mini Bards by working on imitation and repetition, as pupils are shown how to break down a story and start to tell it themselves from memory.
Level 2 (KS2 & 3)
This 60-90 minute workshop focuses on innovation and story structure, guiding pupils through the process of creating a story to be told rather than read, so that by the end of the session they have their own original story to tell.
Level 3 (KS2 & 3)
In this 60 minute workshop pupils focus on oracy, building their confidence as they are coached in performance skills and poetic language, so that they may fully engage their audience whilst telling the story they created for Level 2.
Level 4 (KS4 & 5)
This 2 hour workshop is an in depth workshop covering the bards of old, what made them great, the myths and legends they told and how they storied the landscape we live in, providing resources and inspiring independent learning in the continuation of their storytelling journey.
Get in touch to find out how we can work together to bring the ancient art of storytelling to young audiences building oracy and literary skills.
TESTIMONIALS
Testimonial
Storyteller Dawn Nelson has worked an indescribable magic from Year R all the way up to Y12. From Norse and Greek myths, to local tales and folklore from the land, I have had the genuine joy of watching the children listen, sing and join in with call and response (as if they all knew beforehand that they had a part to play!).
Young people's ability to focus for long periods is often underestimated because of increasing reliance on technology. What today proved to me is that if you put a brilliant storyteller in front of them with a hoard of fantastic stories, they will listen, they will stop fidgeting, they do fall into the depths of the narrative to emerge triumphant at the other side.
Bryony Hart, Teacher Of English & Whole School Literacy, Portsmouth Grammar School
'Fabulous storytime at Butser Farm today, my boys enjoyed it so much we bought the book.'
Amy Goggs, Visitor, Butser Ancient Farm
'Great to work with Dawn again! She very cleverly re-developed our National Tea Day event for online consumption, and this hit our young family audiences perfectly. We had some great engagement with her video chapters of the story of Alice in Wonderland and still cannot believe how she managed to transform her living room into such a brilliant tea party scene. '
Katrina Foxton, Staunton Country Park (during the first lockdown 2020)