Students at Elliott Hudson College are celebrating the success of this year’s Story Explorers launch celebration project, delivered in partnership with the British Library, as part of a long-running enrichment programme. Now in its fourth year, the initiative sees students work weekly with the British Library on a range of projects. Previous successes include a film entitled “Myths & Legends: A South Leeds Odyssey” , a Dungeons and Dragon event and “Lost Leeds”. The latest project, which began in September and ran through to this term, has culminated in a three-day family event at Leeds Central Library.

Story Explorers is an exciting exhibition, created by the British Library and Leeds Libraries, designed to inspire children and families to discover the power of storytelling through books, imagination and creativity. It encourages young people to explore stories from different cultures and see how stories connect people across the world. Students co-created the activities and events for the exhibition’s launch celebration weekend.

“The event was based around exploring stories in four core themes: jungle, library, under the sea and space, with a focus on creating a fun, interactive experience for children and families through a range of activities ,” explained Serene Din, Year 13 Student, adding that the project was aimed at “influencing kids to get involved and explore new things through books.”

Students met every week with British Library representative Sarah Chapleo, and collaborated with theatre company Wrongsemble and astronaut Dr Megan Christian.. Enrichment workshops included researching themes, exploring artefacts, and sourcing external contributors such as face painters and specialist equipment.

“As part of the project, I worked with other students to develop activities from scratch — brainstorming ideas, gathering materials and collaborating to create engaging experiences for young visitors. Many of the stories and activities were inspired by the diverse cultures represented in Leeds including Indian, Kashmiri, Pakistani, Polish, Dutch and Zimbabwean traditions, showing how storytelling connects people across the world” Serene said. Activities on the day included face painting, planet making, creating your own animal, story time, a Q&A with an astronaut, and a Story Explorers trail.

Ahead of the event, students visited Leeds Central Library to explore the space and develop ideas. “This opportunity helped me build skills in teamwork, communication, creativity and planning while contributing to a project designed to inspire young minds,” Serene added.

Matipa Dendamera, EHC Student Union President and Year 13 student added: “Through this experience, I developed valuable skills in leadership, collaboration, project management, communication and initiative, while also considering important factors such as risk assessment and creating safe, engaging experiences for young children. It was a great experience to be part of a project that encourages creativity, learning and cultural exploration for young children. A massive thank you to Elliott Hudson College for making this possible and a huge thank you to British Library for allowing us to take part.”

Photo Credit: The British Library/ David Lindsay