Join storyteller and puppeteer Aileen Finlay to hear about her experiences of developing storytelling projects for children with complex special needs. Discover some approaches to finding and adapting appropriate stories, take away practical hints and tips on making and using props to support the stories and discuss ideas surrounding the potential of multi-sensory storytelling.
£30/£26 Network members
Bookings: 0131 556 9579
This opportunity is available in: Edinburgh City
For further information, please contact reception@scottishstorytellingcentre.com (Reception), or call 0131 556 9579, or visit http://www.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk
Category Archives: Subjects and Themes
My Scotland – writing competition for young people
Young people are being invited to write stories for a fantastic new book about Scotland that will be published in November 2011. Writers aged from 8 to 12 can submit their own stories about the nation for the book entitled ‘My Scotland’.
Described as a snappy and stimulating superstore of stories covering the history, landscape and people of Scotland this new book will feature 366 fascinating stories intended to bring Scotland’s history and culture to life in a way that appeals to all ages.
Twelve winning stories will be selected for publication in the book in a competition open to young people anywhere in Scotland.
My Scotland co-author David Simpson is keen to encourage contributions from Scotland’s young people: “Seeing their work published provides young writers with a sense of achievement that gives them greater confidence to develop their writing” says David.
The only criteria for entering the competition is that the stories must be about Scotland, though this is open to imaginative interpretation.
“Writers can explore any element of Scotland that interests them whether it be the people, landmarks, history, cities, towns, villages their local school, anything” says David. “The stories should be a maximum of 250 words and may be written in any genre such as descriptive, expository, narrative, persuasive, poetry or technical”.
Entry forms for the competition can be downloaded from the publisher’s website at www.myworldpublishing.co.uk
The closing date for competition entries is Friday September 30, 2011
For further information call David Simpson on 0191 305 5201
Contact: David Simpson
Tel: 0191 305 5201
Email: david.simpson@myworldpublishing.co.uk
Highland pupils first to perform WWF musical in Scotland
WWF is marking its 50th anniversary in style this year with the Scottish premiere of its musical ‘One Sun One World’. The piece has been specially commissioned by the environmental charity and will be performed for the first time in Scotland on Saturday 19 November at the Macdonald Aviemore Highland Resort Hotel at 2pm.
Young musicians from all over Highland, who form the Highland Youth Orchestra and Youth Choir, along with pupils from Kingussie High School and its associated primary schools, will be performing the piece and rehearsals for them begin this weekend. These two groups and the 6 others supported by The Highland Council have a schedule of weekend rehearsals for the November Concerts weekend which will also see performances by the other Groups throughout the day. More information about the Concerts can be seen at: www.highland-young-musicians.com
http://www.highland.gov.uk/yourcouncil/news/newsreleases/2011/August/2011-08-23-07.htm
European Space Agency – ‘satellite in a can’ competition
Entries wanted for the 2012 European CanSat competition http://www.cansat.eu/
The European Space Agency (ESA) is holding a Europe-wide competition for schools to create a working satellite within the confines of a soft drinks can. The chosen projects will compete in the final in Norway in April 2012 when the selected 10 satellites from all over Europe will be launched by rocket to the height of about 1 km and will carry out some real science.
ESA have allocated one guaranteed launch slot to the winners of the Scottish Cansat Competition to be held for Scottish schools between September 2011 and March 2012. The competition is open to pupils aged 16 and over. Your school could be there!
This is a fantastic opportunity to have your school compete and hopefully win a prestigious Europe-wide science competition. Please respond to Dr. Paul Lyden (Paul_Lyden@BTInternet.com) by 7 September if you are interested in taking part.
Please visit the website www.cansat.eu for more information.
Braille, storytelling and local artists
A picture book project drawing on the skills of P6 and 7 pupils from St Joseph’s Primary in Dundee combines student-pupil collaboration, inspiration from local artists and the study of Braille.
Read the full article here.
Drawing, Technology and Birdboxes
Modern technology, Glow and good old-fashioned writing and drawing skills were a perfect combination to record the goings-on at one school’s nesting box, reports an article in the TES this week.
Read the full article here.
Research: Increasing the engagement of young people in positive activities
In depth research was undertaken to investigate the benefits and barriers to young people engaging with positive out of school activities. There are several key messages to take away including:
- three quarters of young people engage in some form of activity but for lower income and rural young people this dips to less than half.
- barriers to engagement include poor access to information and parental attitudes.
- proven benefits include better relationships with adults and particularly teachers and parents which can be transferred to in-school activities.
- effective strategies for engagement include communicating specific benefits rather than the generic benefit of participation being a ‘good thing’.
You can find the pdf of the research document here:
New Argyll & Bute Writing Competition
We would like to invite primary pupils in Argyll & Bute to take part in a writing competition using the Argyll Collection as inspiration.
Prizes are donated by Scottish Book Trust:
1st prize: 5 books
2nd prize: 3 hardback books
3rd prize: 3 books
£250 worth of books for the winning pupil’s primary school – a selection of picture books, non-fiction, fiction, poetry and plays suitable for second level
Winning pieces will be posted online as part of this website.
Who is the competition for?
The competition is open to all primary schools within Argyll & Bute. Entries are invited from second level pupils.
Funding – health and wellbeing
What will we fund?
We are looking for a range of initiatives that will demonstrate the above. This could include sports and physical health activities, working with local artists to promote positive images of mental health through creative arts, song, music, dance, drama etc., speaking out through training volunteer speakers and media volunteers, social inclusion and community involvement initiatives.
These are only examples and we will consider any initiative that is new and inspiring.
You can view last year’s awards on our website to give you an idea of the range of activities we have funded.
Your group should be a community, voluntary, health or social enterprise organisation. If you have an idea that you think could work in your local area, we want to hear from you. Projects should be led by people with lived experience of mental ill-health or those who provide care and support.
We will fund projects that aim to:
• change public understanding, attitudes and behaviours so that the stigma and discrimination associated with mental ill-health is eliminated.
• enhance the ability of people to challenge stigma and discrimination.
• ensure people with mental health problems and those who support them are valued and included.
Schools short film competition – Glasgow’s Coat of Arms
Wee Movies: Competition 2 – TREE
Make a short film inspired by Glasgow’s Coat of Arms and your school’s movie could be shown during the Glasgow Youth Film Festival 2012!
We’re looking for 5-minute short films based on the legend behind the Glasgow city crest – the second theme is Tree, so get creative and get cracking!
Competition 2:
TREE – Deadline Monday 5 September
