This new project seeks to engage primary school children and teachers from eight schools around Morecambe Bay in researching, writing and presenting a story rooted in the school’s local environment. The stories will be developed to serve as a curriculum resource for literacy and oracy lessons.

The project has been co-created by the MBC Storytelling Group, a group of early years and primary school teachers led by Joanne Easthope, Headteacher at Overton St Helen's Primary School. It will be delivered between February and July 2025 and co-managed by Jo Easthope and Uta Papen, Professor of Literacy Studies at Lancaster University.

Teachers from participating schools attended a workshop in January delivered by Morecambe Bay Partnership on local research and oral history methods. A half-day storytelling and writing workshop for children from each class (four per school), led by Emily Hennessey (performance storyteller and artist), will be held at Lancaster University on 20th March.

Children will then share knowledge with their class and begin working on their stories. The teachers will be guided in how to support children’s understanding of narrative, character development and writing through activities introduced and simultaneously tried out at a full-day CPD and story writing workshop.

A celebration event will be arranged at the end of the project for children to share their booklets and showcase their new story telling skills.