Pop Up Community Programme
Our community programme aims to engage with local families – children, their parents and grandparents – through the enjoyment of stories and books. Working with four community groups, this pilot programme explores well-known children’s stories and traditional international tales, with each group working with professional artists to create new stories, using a range of different media such as poetry, drama, photography and visual arts. The project culminates in an exhibition of their stories, which can be seen at the Pop Up Community space in Coram’s Fields as part of the Pop Up Festival (9th & 10th July).
The Pop Up Community programme includes:
Parents4Parents
Parents4Parents, a voluntary organisation tackling isolation experienced by hard to reach families, working with artist Karen McCarthy Woolf to create the ‘Poetry Carousel’, a project exploring the use of words and images to create photo-poems.
International Families
International Families, a group of culturally diverse parents and children who engage in educational and social activities to support one another, working with House of Illustration and artist Mark Monaghan to create 3D dioramas telling stories of 'home'.
Somali Speakers Women's Group
Somali Speakers Women's Group – which runs family learning and ESOL activities for women and children – working with the Vayu Naidu Storytelling Company to create the 'Tapestry Tree', a textile-story.
Centre 404
Centre 404, whose children with learning disabilities and their families will be collaborating with artist Jenny Staff to create a sculpture inspired by their favourite stories and characters.
The Pop Up Community space at the Pop Up Festival will host interactive and fun family activities inspired by the work produced during the programme, with drop-in sessions throughout both days. This space is a place to share in and celebrate the work produced by our community groups, but also to experience, create and enjoy stories in new and inspiring ways. The Vayu Naidu Company will also host hourly storytelling sessions, beside the Pop Up Community space from 11am to 2pm on Saturday 9th July in Coram’s Fields.
