Story Spaces

Thanks to the National Lottery Community Fund, in 2023 Skylarker ran joyful weekend gatherings and inspiring midweek workshops in two Dartmoor communities to nurture creativity and connection through an intergenerational storytelling and mindfulness project.

  • "I cannot thank you enough for the story telling course, the opportunity to tell a story at the final event and being able to attend the sessions with children in tow. It has been an absolute gift in my life."

  • "Thank you so much. A wonderful, immersive, interactive and engaging project."

  • "A great way to get to know new people and get out of one's comfort zone. "

  • "I've gained confidence and the sense that storytelling is for everyone"

The Book Keepers

The Book Keepers toured Devon Libraries with interactive workshops and performances for families.

They also worked closely with one community on an intergenerational project between children from a primary school and care home residents.

“Lizzie and Pip created a full sensory experience within the care home: opportunities to touch objects, watch the children, hear songs and stories and engage by sharing or creating a story of their own. It was magical to discover talents we didn’t know our residents had. And to see the delight in their faces as they enjoyed the children’s bold moves and gentle stories.”
— Lifestyle Co-ordinator, Care Home

Paper Capers

Paper Capers was an interactive piece of dance theatre created to ignite children’s imaginations. Breathing life into pen and paper, it playfully explored storymaking through dance, words and puppetry.

It was created by Pip Jones and Lizzie Swinford and commissioned by Doorstep Arts & Dance in Devon with support from Battersea Arts Centre

Through the duration of Paper Capers, as children become immersed in the story, the level of interaction gradually increases so that by the end they are flocking with the remembering birds, dressing as the creature of forgotten words, mapping their ideas and fully engaged in imaginative physical play with the performers and the adult members of the audience.

  • "Thank you for a captivating session. I was as mesmerised by the performance as the children were. We loved Fidget!"

  • "My son said 'It was amazing! The best thing was the dragons face'. He wasn’t sure about being here at all at first but from the moment the show started he was totally enthralled. Thank you!

  • "Beautifully simple… I loved the idea - use of paper and movement"

  • "Enchanting! Lovely storytelling through movement/puppetry/sounds. Responsive to children’s engagement – delightful when they spontaneously followed the footprints. Loved the playfulness."

"All Aboard!"

“All Aboard!” was a Dance in Devon inclusive dance project for children and young families. Pip and Lizzie ran the Exeter part of the project, supporting children to express their identities, explore their creativity and develop resilience through imaginative play-based movement. Performances and workshops ran in early years settings and schools for children with disabilities over a period of 18 months.

  • "All Aboard with Lizzie and Pip has become a highlight of our week. Lizzie and Pip have a brilliant way of involving every child and making them feel an important part of the group. They are responsive to the children’s ideas, movements and drawings and draw out their creativity."

  • "What a warm, creative, exciting, original time we’ve had."

  • "One of the best toddler groups we have ever been to - thank you."

The Embodied Literacy Project 

Creating a buzz and excitment about literacy and story sharing

Skylarker worked with four primary schools in Torbay on an Embodied Literacy Project, funded by Doorstep Arts and the Ragdoll Foundation. Our research and evaluation mentor for this project was Professor Teresa Cremin, Professor of Education (Literacy) at the Open University.

This project provided great motivation for children to fulfil and surpass many National Curriculum requirements – particularly listening, exploring ideas, language and vocabulary development, speech and communication, building on the ideas of others, narrative and role-play.

As it is physical, dynamic and exciting, this process appealed especially to children who were disengaged with literacy, helping them to develop their enthusiasm, interest and confidence in this area.

Over the course of the project, teachers were guided and supported so that they could run sessions themselves after the project had ended, so bringing a buzz and sense of excitement to their literacy lessons.

  • "It inspired them to be storytellers themselves, using creative language and expression, using all of their bodies!"

  • "These sessions have improved children’s confidence, autonomy and imagination. "

  • "These sessions have allowed the children to work with others that they don’t always choose to. They have worked and supported each other brilliantly."