Published 23.04.2015
by Kids’ Own

Kids’ Own on the road again with Cinemobile

The Kids’ Own Book Factory at Cinemobile is back! This year writer Mary Branley and artist Vanya Lambrecht Ward are bringing free bookmaking workshops to primary school children in Tyrone, Antrim, Down, Armagh, Derry and Fermanagh.

The first workshop took place in Strabane on 22nd April. During the workshops, children create their own 8-page fold book on this year’s theme of  ‘people and things that are important to you.’ This might include yourself, your family, friends, pets, adventures and things that you like to do with the people around you.

Our first day went really well. The P3 children (ages 7-8) from St. Mary’s Primary School in Strabane were wonderful and worked hard, making beautiful 8-page fold books with collage, drawings and writing. At the end of each session they did lovely readings to cap off the day!
– Artist Vanya Lambrecht Ward

In a light-hearted way, we go through a draft stage of jotting, sketching, and firing down a few ideas before the children get cracking on the blank pages. We encourage a diverse interplay of image and text, from picture-book format with little text to chapter-book style in fiction, non-fiction or a mixture of both. We circulate all the time encouraging the children to develop their original works. We round off the experience with an open-mike session chaired by me, emulating a launch/celebration, where children can read the finished work. I pretend we are on the radio, broadcasting live across the universe.  This is great fun for children and completes the experience of private and quiet creative expression to public sharing and approval.‘ – Writer Mary Branley

Upcoming dates:

May 2015
Tues 5th May-Friday 8th May: ANTRIM
Cushendal, Carnlough, Larne, Carrickfergus Castle

Mon 18th May-Fri 22nd May: DOWN & ARMAGH
Castlewellan, Rathfriland, Banbridge, Portadown, Craigavon/Lurgan

June 2015
Mon 1st June-Fri 5th June: DERRY, TYRONE & FERMANAGH
Draperstown, Castlederg, Kesh, Fivemiletown

Mon 22nd June-Friday 26th June: ANTRIM
Bushmills and Ballycastle

Cinemobile is Ireland’s National Mobile Digital Cinema bringing the magic of movies to towns, villages and communities throughout the island of Ireland over the past 14 years, showing films in schools, at film and community festivals and to the general public. Cinemobile also has extensive experience in initiating, developing and delivering a wide variety of projects with a diverse range of organisations. www.cinemobile.ie 

The Kids’ Own Book Factory workshops, delivered free to primary school pupils, take place in the Cinemobile and are funded by DCAL through Northern Ireland Screen. 

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