Schools’ Days 2023
We are delighted to invite you to Stroud Sub Rooms for our 2023 Schools’ Days. As in previous years, we are offering a choice of attending in-person or live online; there will be a warm welcome whichever you choose!
Once again this year, we bring you two Schools’ Days with events for a wide range of ages, thanks to generous sponsorship from the Authors' Licensing & Collecting Society (ALCS) and The Summerfield Trust.
Thursday 9th November: 3 events for Years 3–6
Friday 10th November: 3 events for Years 1–3
In-Person Tickets: £4 per child per event
To book in-person tickets and for further information, please call our Box Office at The Sub Rooms: 01453 796880 or email boxoffice@thesubrooms.co.uk. Stroud Box Office Opening Times are Tuesday to Saturday from 9am to 4pm.
Digital Only Passes: £35 per class per event - Great for SOLD OUT Shows!
While we’re very happy to invite students to join us for live events in The Sub Rooms, we also understand that many schools are not able to join us in person. So we are once again pleased to offer you the opportunity to join us virtually for our live stream instead.
To purchase virtual passes, please email shannon@stroudbookfestival.org.uk, telling us which events you would like to stream and we will forward payment information, a book list and then streaming links closer to the festival.
You can book secure in the knowledge that if you need to cancel live tickets for any reason, we will offer a full refund or transfer your tickets to digital access.
Thursday Events – 9th November
9.30am – 10.30am
POETRY PROMPTS: ALL THE WAYS TO START A POEM
With JOSEPH COELHO
Years 3-6
Joseph Coelho, our brilliant Children’s Laureate is on a mission to make poetry accessible to everyone. So we’re thrilled to welcome performance poet, playwright and children’s author Joseph back to Stroud Book Festival. This time, he’ll be presenting a wealth of tips and tricks on starting to write, perform, and enjoy poetry. With our event at the Subs Sold Out, there are still Virtual Tickets available! Don’t miss this inspiring introduction to creating your own poems!
11.30am – 12.30pm
OH MAYA GODS!
With MAZ EVANS
Years 3-6
Come and celebrate the next generation of Maz Evans’ fantastic “Who Let the Gods Out?” adventures as she takes us on a hilarious historical voyage through the Mayan underworld. Learn the mysteries and magic of Mesoamerica, while being introduced to the ancient sport of Pok-a-Tok….all with the usual dose of Maz’s mythological mayhem.
1.30pm – 2.30pm
THE RESCUE OF RAVENWOOD
With NATASHA FARRANT
Years 4-6
To Bea and Raffy, Ravenwood is home. To Noa, it’s a welcome refuge. But now they’re about to lose it and there is nothing the children can do….or is there?
The award-winning author of “Voyage of the Sparrowhawk” takes us on an epic adventure in which three extraordinary children fight to save the precious things on our planet. With our event at the Subs Sold Out, there are still Virtual Tickets available!
Friday Events – 10th November
9.30am – 10.30am
BIG BRIGHT FEELINGS
With TOM PERCIVAL
Years 1-3
Be open, be honest, be YOU! Stroud author illustrator Tom Percival’s “Big Bright Feelings" series (including “Perfectly Norman”, “Ravi’s Road” and “Finn’s Little Fibs”) is the perfect springboard for conversations about empathy, positive self-image and building self-confidence. Through live drawing and music, Tom will share the craft of creating picture books, as he shows that even little people can have big feelings.
11.30am – 12.30pm
STOP! THAT’S NOT MY STORY
With SMRITI HALLS
Years: 1-3
A girl opens up a book and tumbles inside. An amazing fairy tale adventure follows, starring Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Little Red Riding Hood, and Jack and the Beanstalk. But where’s her story?
Don’t miss this joyful and empowering storytelling event with author Smriti Halls, based on her latest picture book, “Stop! That’s not my Story”. She’ll be celebrating the stories we already love and the stories we are yet to write. But most importantly, she’ll be showing us all how we can become the hero of our OWN stories.
1.30pm – 2.30pm
ECO GIRL AND ASTRO GIRL
With KEN WILSON-MAX
Years 1-3
Join award-winning Zimbabwe-born children’s author and illustrator Ken Wilson-Max as he takes us on two exciting journeys through his fantastic picture books, “Astro Girl” and “Eco Girl”.
Ken will be drawing live on stage, giving the audience a chance to take charge of both stories with a fun, interactive game of 'And Then What Happened?'. So where will you decide to take Astro Girl and Eco Girl for their next adventures?
BUY THE BOOKS
A range of books by all our Schools’ Days authors will be available to buy from The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop, either in person at the Sub Rooms or online. Further information and a book list will be sent in advance to schools which have registered.
About our kind sponsors:
The Authors' Licensing & Collecting Society (ALCS) is a not for profit organisation started by writers, for writers. It campaigns to ensure authors’ rights are recognised in the UK, the EU and internationally. It also produces a wealth of resources for schools which aim to educate young people about copyright: what it means, what it does, and how it benefits creators, readers and viewers. For further information see www.alcs.co.uk
Since its inception in 1989, the Summerfield Trust has donated more than £7 million in a total of more than 2,300 separate grants. These grants have directly benefited many different charitable projects and good causes in Gloucestershire. The Trust is delighted to support the digital streaming of the Schools' Days events. For further information see www.summerfield.org.uk.