The Story Works - Summer School (Ages 7-11)

3 August - 7 August 2026, 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM each day. For children aged 7 - 11 years old.

Get ready for an awesome experience where creativity meets fun! The Story Works' Summer School is the perfect place to dive into storytelling, meet new friends, and bring your ideas to life.

Enjoy themed activity days and unleash your creativity all week long. Together with us you will learn new skills, create your story and design your own book! We finish with an exciting Story Festival that is all about sharing stories and showcasing your storytelling talents.

Parents, if writing is your child's passion, this is the ultimate summer experience for them!

PLEASE NOTE: The summer school will only go ahead if all 20 spaces are filled. Should this not be the case by 15 July, the programme will be cancelled.

The Story Works is a registered charity based out of Bournemouth University. Our founder discovered a concerning lack of creative opportunities in his children's school and wanted to change that. Our mission is to help young people in Dorset build confidence in themselves and their own voice by providing them with the space and creative tools to tap into their imagination and tell stories in their own unique way.

Creative writing has the power to change lives. When young people have experience of their voice being heard, seen and valued, they develop the confidence to seize opportunities and achieve their true potential.

Want to find out more about us? Visit our website and check out our social media pages.

If you have any questions about us or our Summer School, feel free to reach out via email: [email protected]

Info: The children get to know each other, explore different types of stories and start creating their own characters. After lunch they choose a setting for their story and design a map of their story world.

Info: The children brainstorm possible challenges and quests for their hero and learn how to structure their story into beginning, middle and end. We break it up by acting out scenes and learning about the importance of a book's first line. The children then finish the day by writing the first line to their own story.

Info: Wednesday is all about the middle section of the children's story. They create obstacles and twists for their hero and even swap stories with a partner to add a potential surprise to their tale. To break things up the children will create a comic strip with key scenes from their story.

Info: The children learn about the different ways a story can finish and choose the ending of their own story. After their story is complete they get to design the front cover and illustrations for their very own book. In the afternoon the children practice their storytelling skills for the big finale.

Info: We finish this amazing week with our Story Festival. The children make masks to help them act out their story and have the opportunity to share what they created with their new friends and and their families. The Story Works Summer School concludes with celebrating the children's accomplishments They will receive their certificates, books and of course lots of applause and positive feedback.

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Host or Publisher The Story Works