[cma-l] Walk to School Week / 'walk and talk' storytelling and recording project from Brighton & Hove

[Cathy Aitchison]

It's Walk to School Week! (18th-22nd May).
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Have a look at this excellent project for Walk to School week, on the 
theme of 'walk and talk', which was commissioned by Brighton & Hove City 
Council as part of their 'JourneyOn' campaign and transport information 
website.  See:

http://www.journeyon.co.uk

Over the past few months, artists Charlotte White, Michael Parker and 
Sara Duffy have been holding storytelling and recording workshops with 
Year 3 and 4 children (7-9 year olds) at schools in Brighton and Hove.

They asked the children to talk to parents and carers about their walk 
to school - the children then wrote stories and recorded them in the 
classroom (including creating some very lively sound effects).  The 
stories are short (around 30 seconds-2 minutes) and very effective, 
including:
- walking through rice fields in Japan and running away from a 
helicopter spraying insecticide
- several dog stories (a dog covered in sand, bitten by a dog)
- encounters with birds and animals on the way
- being scared walking through the woods.

The three schools taking part were Westdene Primary School, St Joseph's 
RC Primary School and St Margaret's CE Primary School. Listen to the 
stories on the website at:

http://www.journeyon.co.uk/walking_87.asp

What I find so interesting about this project is that it combines 
performing arts, education and media skills in a very powerful way. 
It's a method which could easily be adapted to be run by or to include 
community radio stations - it probably already is somewhere.  If you're 
already doing something similar (on any theme, not necessarily for Walk 
to School Week), it would be great to hear about it.

Email me cathy.aitchison at btinternet.com with details.

Meanwhile, if you play any of the stories from the JourneyOn website on 
one of your radio shows (eg. to introduce a guest talking about Walk to 
School Week) please let Sara Duffy know - email 
sara.duffy at brighton-hove.gov.uk .

Thank you.
Cathy
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More links and info for background (check it yourselves please):

1. Walk to School - www.walktoschool.org.uk/
The Walk to School Campaign is run by the charity Living Streets with
funding from Department for Transport and the BIG Lottery fund.  There 
are 2 annual campaigns: Walk to School Week in May and International 
Walk to School Month in October.

2. JourneyOn - http://www.journeyon.co.uk or
http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=c1164168
JourneyOn offers travel information for Brighton & Hove.  The JourneyOn
campaign aims to encourage people to walk and cycle more [and] use 
public transport where possible.

Cathy Aitchison
Children and Radio
http://www.childrenandradio.org.uk