Primary Care

Our primary school storymaking workshops are one of BODAN’s flagship fun creative writing sessions, in which a class of children in Key Stage 2 (ages 7-11) become published authors in a single morning, with a fully illustrated book given to each participant. Our tried and tested workshop model involves collaborative story writing, democratic process to choose characters, a tension-filled cliffhanger moment, individual writing time, and … a large inflatable banana. Not forgetting the Grumpy Bank Manager, who interrupts proceedings to shout at children down the Red Telephone, and invariably ends up eating humble pie - albeit grudgingly.

At BODAN we constantly review, reflect, and discuss how to fine tune and improve our workshop practice. Our recent in-house sessions on Primary Storymaking Development were enormously fruitful, with much discussion on our unique and vital child-led ethos; how to impart tips on writing craft to the young writers we work alongside; and the joy of witnessing their imaginative flair, which ultimately forms the bonkers but brilliant stories they write.

This R&D with our volunteer writing mentors and workshop leads is a fantastic collaborative effort, during which we look back at some of the dozens of storybooks that BODAN has already published for primary school children, remember the funny moments, and strive to offer the best creative writing outcomes for young minds. Always evolving, always learning.

For more information about our Primary Storymaking and to book a session for your school class, home school or other group, please email nick@thebankofdreamsandnightmares.org.