Storytelling to Promote Friendship (Talking SENSS)

Press Release, March 1996

The North Hull Community Anti-Bullying Project has recently set up an innovative programme in primary schools with storyteller Graham Langley. The results of a pilot project in the summer "Storytelling to Promote Friendship" were so successful that it was decided to make it available to all of the primary schools in the project's area.

It has been taken up by six of these schools which will mean Graham or another storyteller working for two days at a time in each of 40 classes involving the teachers and over 1000 children. The main aims of the project are i) to raise awareness and discourage bullying through creative activities with children in an area of high social deprivation with all the associated difficulties for the schools and ii) to demonstrate for teachers a range of creative approaches which will enable the school to address the problem of bullying on an ongoing basis.

The work is being enthusiastically received for its innovative approach using oral storytelling and other expressive group work to combat bullying and aggressive behaviour amongst children. The stimulation and enthusiasm amongst the children is self evident. According to Graham Langley " This is due to a combination of the oral work, group work and creative work. All of which the children see as fun. But underpinning all of this is the anti-bullying message. Traditional stories are full of bullies and underdogs who come out on top"

The project has already conducted pupil surveys into the extent of bullying in the targeted schools in summer 1993 and again in 1995. The survey will be conducted once more after the work with the classes is complete to provide information on the effectiveness of the project. The initiative will also be evaluated on an ongoing basis by the pupils and their teachers. Early results are very encouraging.

The total budget is over £10,000 which by any standards makes it a huge arts in education project. It is being funded by Yorkshire and Humberside Arts, the Humberside Arts In schools Budget and a variety of other sources.