Children who are enjoying reading books from their local library this summer are in for an extra creative treat.
A series of inspiring workshops and puppet performances are being staged across libraries in Devon and Torbay to help bring this year’s Summer Reading Challenge to life.
Libraries Unlimited, the charity that runs 54 libraries across Devon and Torbay, promotes the Reading Agency’s Summer Reading Challenge every year to help children keep up their reading skills during the holidays. This year’s theme is ‘Marvellous Makers’ and it’s all about creativity. Children who sign up to the Summer Reading Challenge read six books of their choice, collect stickers and get a medal and certificate when they complete the challenge. This year’s Challenge is being run in partnership with leading arts charity Create.
Now the ‘Marvellous Makers’ theme will be explored in a wide range of fun, hands-on workshops funded by Arts Council England, which all hinge around puppet performances in a number of local libraries. In 2022, Libraries Unlimited secured a £720,369 grant from Arts Council England to boost its thriving programme of music, films, workshops and high-quality community events between 2023 and 2026.
Sophie Crofts, Reader Development Manager at Libraries Unlimited said: “We know that keeping children reading through the summer holidays is vital for improving literacy and enjoyment of reading, and crucially, it improves their mental health and wellbeing. By having these engaging events in the library, it will help to keep children motivated. The puppets will bring the ‘Marvellous Makers’ theme to life, which we hope will make children want to dive back into it and keep their reading, and their creativity, going.”
The events will run across August and will include a day workshop of creating characters and a story for a puppetry performance with Paper Cinema at Tavistock Library, a session of storytelling and drawing with Travels with Grandad, who loves collecting treasure and meeting fairies and wizards on his journeys, at Totnes Library.
At Axminster Library, The Secret Keeper will perform a captivating show with puppets made from driftwood, roots, feathers, leaves and other objects found in nature. At Ilfracombe Library there’s a chance to enjoy a performance from Scrolls of Wonder who use crankies (picture scrolls) and kamishibai (picture cards) to visually tell stories – followed by a workshop to make your own mini crankie. And at South Molton Library, puppeteer Sarah Vigars and musician Louis Bingham perform their spectacular Flying with Strings bird-inspired puppet show, again followed by a making workshop.
The full list of events is bookable through Eventbrite here and prices start for as little as £2.
For all press enquiries, please contact: Marketing and Communications Manager Agnes Finlayson [email protected] . Further images of the puppet performers in individual libraries are available.
