The Leeds Storytelling Festival, running from February 14 to March 8, is a vibrant celebration of creativity for families and children in Leeds, featuring engaging workshops, live theatre, and interactive storytelling sessions. This exciting new event, a collaboration between Leeds Libraries, Wrongsemble, and LIVEwire Poetry, promises to enliven the community with captivating tales and imaginative activities, making storytelling accessible and fun for everyone.
What is the Leeds Storytelling Festival?
The Leeds Storytelling Festival is a new cultural event for families and children, featuring creative workshops, pop-up events, live theatre, and interactive storytelling sessions. It’s a collaborative effort to celebrate storytelling, with activities ranging from author talks to theatre performances, ensuring community engagement and accessibility for all.
The Dawn of a New Tradition in Leeds
Leeds is set to be enchanted by a fresh cultural wave as the Leeds Storytelling Festival makes its debut. A unique collaboration between Leeds Libraries, Wrongsemble, and LIVEwire Poetry, the festival is poised to become a vibrant addition to the city’s rich cultural landscape. Scheduled from February 14 to March 8, this pioneering event is crafted with families and children in mind, promising an immersive foray into the art of storytelling.
The festival kicks off with a bang, featuring Kate Pankhurst at Leeds Central Library, who brings her best-selling ‘Fantastically Great Women’ series alive. Her session will not only educate but entertain, as attendees learn about women’s struggles in sports, complete with interactive elements like dressing up and drawing activities.
Programme Highlights:
– Creative workshops and author talks
– Pop-up events and live theatre
– Spoken word showcases
– Interactive storytelling sessions
But that’s not all. The festival’s lineup brims with a variety of activities tailored to stoke the fires of imagination. Engagements range from costume-making workshops with the British Library to mini-movie screenings from Leeds Young Film. Moreover, a series of events featuring acclaimed children’s authors, such as Hiba Noor Khan and Ashley Thorpe, are certain to captivate young minds.
Celebrating Stories and Creativity Across Leeds
The Leeds Storytelling Festival is more than a series of events; it’s a crucible where creativity and community converge. The festival turns the city into a canvas, with libraries transforming into theatres and workshops, and public spaces becoming stages for spoken word and storytelling performances. Through this city-wide canvas, celebrations of narrative and creativity can reach every neighborhood.
Notably, the festival closes with an exciting premiere by Wrongsemble — ‘Three Little Vikings’, inspired by Bethan Woolvin’s award-winning picture book. This theatrical presentation will be paired with an interactive session with Woolvin herself, as she reads from her work and leads creative crafts in her trademark style.
Diverse Experiences:
– Poetry tailored for young audiences by LIVEwire Poetry
– Theatre performances by Blanket Fort Club and Wrongsemble
– Interactive and engaging sessions with authors and illustrators
The festival, in its essence, is designed to champion imagination and diversity, ensuring accessibility for all. Councillor Mary Harland articulates this vision, saying, “Leeds Libraries are proud to partner with Wrongsemble and LIVEwire Poetry for the first Leeds Storytelling Festival. This collaboration offers a chance to bring stories to life in so many exciting ways, from interactive theatre to poetry, ensuring that every child and family can experience the magic of storytelling.”
A Meeting of Minds and Inspirations
The power of storytelling is universal, its threads weaving through the very fabric of human experience. Elvi Piper, Artistic Director of Wrongsemble, echoes the festival’s core sentiments: “We’re thrilled to be part of this exciting new festival and to bring our passion for family theatre to Leeds in such a special way. The Leeds Storytelling Festival will not only showcase the diversity of storytelling but will also create unforgettable memories for children and families.”
Matt Abbott, Founding Owner of LIVEwire Poetry, further elaborates on the transformative power of words: “The power of storytelling lies in its ability to connect us all through words, and we’re excited to be part of the Leeds Storytelling Festival. Through poetry and performance, we hope to inspire children and families to discover their own creative voices.”
Community Engagement:
– Unique storytelling collaborations
– Activities fostering family participation
– Events fostering city-wide cultural engagement
The proficiency and dedication of these organizations consolidate Leeds’ position as a beacon of cultural innovation. The Leeds Storytelling Festival is not just an event; it’s a movement towards nurturing community bonds through the shared experience of stories. For updates and sneak previews, the festival can be followed on Instagram at @leedsstoryfestival.
Contact Information:
For further media inquiries regarding the festival, reach out to the Leeds City Council communications and marketing team at communicationsteam@leeds.gov.uk, or call 0113 378 6007.
- The Leeds Storytelling Festival is scheduled from February 14 to March 8 and aims to celebrate creativity for families and children through various engaging events.
- This festival is a collaborative effort involving Leeds Libraries, Wrongsemble, and LIVEwire Poetry, focusing on making storytelling accessible and fun.
- A highlight includes a session with author Kate Pankhurst at Leeds Central Library, featuring her ‘Fantastically Great Women’ series with interactive educational elements.
- The festival features a range of activities including creative workshops, live theatre, spoken word showcases, and interactive storytelling sessions.
- It aims to foster community engagement and imagination, culminating in the premiere of ‘Three Little Vikings’, accompanied by interactive sessions with the author Bethan Woolvin.