News | Wednesday, 8th December 2021
1,000 Story Drawing Books given to children to inspire the next generation of children’s book authors
1,000 copies of an inclusive illustration and storytelling book are being given to children at schools in Manchester, London and Sheffield as part of Arts Council sponsored project to inspire children from different backgrounds to become part of the next generation of children’s storytellers.
The Story Drawing Book shows children how to draw and write themselves into their own stories.
Emma Jackson, Founder and illustrator of Story Drawing Club who thought up the scheme said:
“I am ecstatic that the book is published and already finding its way to children with that creative impulse. The fact it will be given to 1,000 children for free allows us to get the book to those who have brand new stories to tell. I can’t wait to see what they produce.
The book encourages children to draw and write themselves into their own story and aims to help children from all backgrounds learn skills that are the first steps on that path to becoming writer or illustrator in the future. Or both!”
The content of the Story Drawing book is based on hundreds of workshops that Story Drawing Club take into primary schools, taking a grass roots approach to improving diversity in children’s picture books. The hope is that by showing children from all backgrounds how to write and draw themselves into a story, they will see a place for themselves in the creative industries as authors or illustrators.
The books will be given to children for free through two arts organisations: AiR based in London is a charity set up by Andria Zafirakou after winning the Global Teaching award in 2018 and Z-arts in Manchester, a community based arts organisation. The books will be distributed to schools that Story Drawing Club works with through AiR, and through the community that visits Z-arts in Manchester, culminating with a special event on World Book Day 2022.
The Story Drawing Book is also available to buy (https://storydrawingclub.bigcartel.com/product/story-drawing-book), and every book bought will fund a free book going to schools with a high percentage of children on free school meals.
