News
Thursday, 01 April 2010
New Digital Treasure Trove Brings Stories Alive
A digital feast of stories and story-related activities is now available at the click of a mouse. Launched by the Story Museum in Oxford, this new website is an essential free resource for parents, educators, arts and heritage professionals – and children themselves.
Cornerstone of the Story Museum’s ambitious new project is an expanding database of oral stories. Its inspiration comes from a story itself: that of Scheherazade who managed to avoid execution at the hands of her husband by telling 1001 fabulous tales. The Story Museum is aiming for 1001 free stories online and has already launched around 100 audio and visual recordings of traditional world tales, lasting from two to ten minutes and spun by some of the UK’s leading oral storytellers. The stories are accompanied by reading recommendations and prompts for retelling.
The pioneering new website has been designed as a one-stop-shop for all things story and is bursting with suggestions, reading lists and quirky ideas to get all age-groups (from birth to teens) turning pages, whether in print or online. Sections include how to create a “story home”, as well as places to visit and things to do.
The website also features a wide-ranging directory of organisations and projects that engage children and young people – even the most reluctant leaners – with reading and stories, including literature festivals and literacy programmes, play schemes, awards and competitions.
Teachers have their own dedicated portal, taking them to information on storytelling schools, with examples of best practice, inspiring ideas, templates and opportunities for training, workshops and participation. Over the past five years the Story Museum, a not-for-profit organisation, has been helping primary schools transform themselves into storytelling schools and the website offers a springboard to sharing ideas, support and knowledge.
Across the site are reading suggestions, ideas for involving all age-groups, as well as for visits and outings – plus sections on research and evaluation and the importance of story in children’s development.
Story Museum director Kim Pickin said today: “We hope that our new website will become a story-studded mine of information for browsers, bookworms and the book-averse. We set out to create an invaluable online tool, which we shall be constantly expanding and updating, for all those keen to draw children into the magical world of narrative and we aim to make it a favourite online bookmark. We’re delighted with the number of people who are already visiting the site and with some very positive feedback.”
Story Museum education advisor Pie Corbett said: “This is a fantastic resource. It is creative, inviting and simple to use. It will become a central focus for spreading and encouraging storytelling as an integral part of education in this country in the future.”
This latest project from the Story Museum, a not-for-profit organisation, has been made possible with support from Arts Council England South East, The Transformation Fund and The Barcapel Foundation.
For more information please visit the Story Museum website.
