Writing pages of possibilities at Inspiring Happy Writers

On Friday 10 November we partnered up with the fabulous Grimm & Co for our fully-booked CPD event, Inspiring Happy Writers, a practical training day for teachers and artists exploring imaginative approaches to teaching writing.

Using drama, visual arts and story-making, this event aimed to give teachers and artists new, creative ideas to inspire young writers in their schools. 

The day was packed with interesting conversations, creative workshops and a powerful panel discussion with insightful suggestions about how we can use the arts to help us to inspire and support happy and confident writers. Throughout the morning, attendees experienced our flagship ‘Imaginary Communities’ approach to teaching writing and Grimm & Co’s ‘Creative Courage’ approach to teaching literacy. In the afternoon, we held a panel discussion focused on Care, Courage and Creativity with senior leadership, teachers and artists working in schools across Yorkshire. We even got a sneak preview of Grimm & Co’s brand new Emporium of Stories!

Throughout the day, we heard from a number of speakers including Sarah Christie, programme manager for the world’s first Children’s Capital of Culture in Rotherham. Sarah gave a fantastic talk about all the different opportunities that schools can get involved with in the lead up to the festival in 2025. 

We have received fantastic feedback describing the impact of the day, in terms of how we can use the arts as a tool to inspire and motivate children in schools. One teacher commented:

“I feel so inspired. This is why I went into teaching! The workshops were full of rich ideas to take back to the classroom. Absolutely loved it, thank you so much.“

There was a strong call for more use of drama in school and commitment to creativity from the participants:

“More role play is needed. Working with other organisations to bring more creative approaches to writing.“

“I’d love to make my own communication combobulator please!“

There was also real appreciation of imaginative approaches to teaching punctuation: 

Making punctuation personal. Giving it a story. Helping children to understand.

Headteachers called for more professional development opportunities: 

“I would love to send some of our staff members on this exact course. Please run it again!“

“In-house training opportunities for whole school development.”

One teacher commented on the success of using Imaginary Communities in her school, saying: “This is what education should be. We should be creative with our children. We should have the confidence and passion to say, yes – I am held accountable to the levels that my children achieve BUT I want them to get there through a journey that they have enjoyed, that makes them feel confident and empowered. Something needs to shift.” 

Many teachers requested further professional development opportunities:

“I would love to send some of our staff members on this exact course. Please run it again!”

Thank you to Arts Council England and Paul Hamlyn Foundation for making the Inspiring Happy Writers workshop possible. Please follow us on our Facebook, Instagram or X social media accounts to be the first in the know about our upcoming events.