Creative sessions begin across four schools
Children in the early years at four Merthyr Tydfil primary schools are taking part in a programme of storytelling workshops designed to bring literature and the arts into the classroom.
Creative arts practitioner Sarah Morton is visiting Dowlais, Goetre, Troedyrhiw and Gwaunfarren Primary Schools between 3 and 17 November. The free sessions form part of Hay Festival’s learning and engagement work, following outreach activity in Herefordshire and Worcestershire over the summer.
The workshops are centred on creative storytelling and are intended to help pupils explore ideas, characters and different ways of expressing themselves. The project will then take the children beyond their school classrooms, with a planned visit to Hay Festival Winter Weekend on Thursday 26 November.
A first festival experience for pupils
During the visit, the early-years programme will include performances by children’s author Laura Dockrill and illustrator Petr Horáček. Each participating pupil will also receive a free book, giving children the opportunity to continue reading and sharing stories after the festival event.
- Workshops are taking place at four Merthyr Tydfil primary schools.
- Pupils will attend Hay Festival Winter Weekend on 26 November.
- Every participating child will receive a free book.
- Laura Dockrill will visit the schools in January 2027.
The programme will conclude on 13 and 14 January 2027, when Dockrill will tour the four schools to deliver a special performance. The later visits mean the project will continue after the festival trip, giving pupils a further opportunity to engage with a professional author in their own school communities.
Schools welcome wider access to the arts
Hay Festival says its charitable work is intended to widen access to culture. The organisation, which was founded in Hay-on-Wye, reports that about 18,688 people take part in its free creative activities each year through its learning and engagement programmes.
“We’re delighted to bring Hay Festival to four of Merthyr Tydfil’s primary schools this winter. Creative experiences in the early years can spark a lifelong love of stories, art and ideas, and we want every child to have the chance to enjoy them.”
Hay Festival chief executive Julie Finch said the early-years projects were supported by the Moondance Foundation. The initiative is intended to make creative experiences available to pupils who may not otherwise have the chance to take part in a festival programme of this kind.
Judith Estebanez, headteacher at Dowlais Primary School, said the partnership would give pupils new experiences and encourage them to develop their own creative voices. She said the work would help children encounter literature and the arts while considering the possibilities that creativity could offer.
Storytelling at the centre of the project
Morton, who is taking part in the project for a second year, said she was looking forward to working with early-years children in the four schools. The workshops are being tailored around storytelling, with the visits also helping pupils understand what to expect when they attend the festival in November.
| Date | Activity |
|---|---|
| 3–17 November | Storytelling workshops in the four schools |
| 26 November | Visit to Hay Festival Winter Weekend |
| 13–14 January 2027 | Laura Dockrill school performances |
For the participating schools, the programme offers a connected sequence of experiences: classroom workshops, a shared festival visit, books to take home and a final performance in January. In Merthyr Tydfil, where schools are often important centres of community life, the organisers and teachers hope the project will leave children feeling more confident about stories, reading and their own ideas.
