New digital treasure-trove brings stories alive
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This issue’s cover illustration is from The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan. Thanks to David Fickling Books for their help with this January cover.
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The Story Museum in Oxford has launched a new website, described as ‘an essential free resource for parents, educators, arts and heritage professionals – and children themselves’ featuring stories and story-related activities.
A cornerstone of the new project, made possible with support from Arts Council England South East, The Transformation Fund and The Barcapel Foundation, is an expanding database of oral stories inspired by the story of Scheherazade who managed to avoid execution at the hands of her husband by telling 1001 fabulous tales. The Story Museum is aiming for 1001 free stories online and has already launched around 100 audio and visual recordings of traditional world tales, lasting from two to ten minutes and spun by some of the UK’s leading oral storytellers. The stories are accompanied by reading recommendations and prompts for retelling.
The website has been designed as ‘a one-stop-shop’ for all things story and also features a wide-ranging directory of organisations and projects that engage children and young people with reading and stories, including literature festivals and literacy programmes, play schemes, awards and competitions.
Teachers have their own dedicated portal, taking them to information on storytelling schools, with examples of best practice, inspiring ideas, templates and opportunities for training, workshops and participation. Over the past five years the Story Museum, a not-for-profit organisation, has been helping primary schools transform themselves into storytelling schools and the website offers a springboard to sharing ideas, support and knowledge.
Across the site are reading suggestions, ideas for involving all age-groups, as well as for visits and outings – plus sections on research and evaluation and the importance of story in children’s development.
Story Museum director Kim Pickin said: ‘We hope that our new website will become a story-studded mine of information for browsers, bookworms and the book-averse. We’re delighted with the number of people who are already visiting the site and with some very positive feedback.’
