A New Collection of Stories from Young People at Bristol Children’s Hospital

As part of the Paper Nations creative writing initiative, funded by the Arts Council, Bath Festivals and Read For Good have teamed up with storyteller Jennifer Lunn to create a book of stories written by young patients in Bristol children’s hospital.

As founder and artistic director of the Culturcated Theatre Company, Jennifer Lunn produces and curates a wide range of creative projects. Story forms the foundation of her practice; she works extensively with people of all ages to inspire both a passion for stories and develop storytelling skills.

Working with the charity Read for Good, Jennifer Lunn has been visiting children in hospitals across the UK for several years. Her aim has always been to encourage children to be creative and brighten their day with stories that take them away from the challenges that many of them are facing. Jennifer has now teamed up with Bath Festivals and Gloucestershire based charity, Read For Good to create a book full of imaginative stories by young patients treated at Bristol children’s hospital entitled ‘Once Upon A Time…’. The book was recently launch in the hospital with storytelling and performances of the stories within the book – The Mystery of the Footprints, Harriet Escapes the Bear and Lucy and the Lobster. Each of the authors received a copy and books are also on display in the hospital’s school room for patients and their families to enjoy.

Hazel Plowman, Head of Creative Learning at Bath Festivals, says “Creative Learning is an integral part of Bath Festivals’ mission which strives for inclusion and accessibility to the arts for all. It has been a real privilege to work alongside Read for Good on this project which has enabled children and young people at Bristol children’s hospital to create heart-warming and creative stories in print for the first time and hopefully inspired them to begin their own creative writing journeys. We’re always happy to work with other charities who share our goal of giving children and young people opportunities to work with leading arts professionals, gain real-world experience, grow passions and interests and create and produce their own work.” As well as supporting the ‘Once Upon A Time..’ initiative Bath Festivals recently arranged for Ben Faulks, more widely know as Mr. Bloom from CBeebies, to come into Bristol children’s hospital to meet the children after his event at Bath Children’s Literature Festival.

Justine Daniels, CEO of Read for Good says “Read for Good is thrilled and proud to be involved in this collaborative project that has enabled the young patients of Bristol Children’s Hospital to create wonderfully vivid stories, and see their work actually published in a booklet that they can share with family and friends. Stories, reading, writing and illustration are so vital to support the well-being of children who find themselves in hospital; these creative outlets provide a means to escape the four walls enabling children in hospital to go anywhere their imagination takes them.”