Emily brings 2 decades of experience and expertise to her school sessions. She offers storytelling performances and workshops to all ages. She can even bring her own magical venue to your school!

Get in touch for a chat: emily@emilyhennessey.co.uk / 07890112574

The StoryDen is a beautiful bell tent inside which the storyteller brings to life myths, epics, fairytales and folktales from every corner of the world.

Aimed at EYFS, KS1 & KS2.

Stories & Learning

Children will develop skills in:
speaking & listening
using engaging language & vivid descriptions
recounting events
exploring choices and emotions
word play, rhythm, rhyme & story structure
scene setting & character development

Children will be inspired to:
re-tell the stories in their own words through storytelling & creative writing
discover more stories through their own reading
create and write their own narratives

Above all, they will delight in the experience of being swept away into worlds of wonder and imagination in an enchanting environment.

Requirements: 9m flat, grassy surface

Teacher feedback:

The children loved the StoryDen, it was a really immersive experience and reminded the children of the true magic stories possess.

The StoryDen was magical experience for the children, the den was transformed into a magical place where stories come alive.  

It was a perfect way to share stories for all the children regardless of language barriers or ability, my children loved it. The set up was perfect and added to the beauty of the experience.


“I loved the stories! When are you coming back?”  Jake, age 9

“The children were captivated. I’ve rarely seen them so focused for so long.” Teacher, Swalecliffe Community Primary School


Emily has 20 years of experience working with primary schools, secondary schools, academies, colleges, universities and adult education centres to promote creative learning and wider cultural awareness through storytelling across and beyond the curriculum.

Emily also runs CPD sessions for teachers.

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What is Storytelling?
 
Storytelling is about communicating a story in a way that is both live and alive. It’s about taking the story off the page and retelling it through a process of visualisation. Rather than memorise text, the storyteller creates an internal world of imagery and through the telling, converts that imagery into language. The retelling of a story becomes something personal, told in the storyteller’s own words. The same story will change with every telling, responding to each different audience.
  
Storytelling…

Is about lifting the story off the page and sharing it in a way that is both live and alive

Stretches and inspires the imagination

Broadens cultural horizons

Improves literacy levels

Is a powerful educational tool across the curriculum, building not only a love of stories but also a greater passion for learning in life. 

Why Storytelling?

For pupils, especially those who struggle with the written word, storytelling is a way of engaging with a story without the usual barriers. Time and time again I’ve worked with pupils who tell me stories are boring. What they usually mean is that they find reading and writing difficult, and are reluctant to pick up a book for this reason. Interestingly, it is often these pupils that become the most engaged and passionate storytellers.

Even for those pupils who find reading and writing easy, storytelling greatly benefits language development, speaking and listening skills and communicating individually and as an ensemble.

Storytelling encourages flights into fantasy worlds. It empowers both the teller and the listener, stretches the imagination and broadens horizons, offering a deeper understanding of different cultures as well as the immediate world around us.

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Which Stories?

Emily tells traditional stories from across the world… Anansi the Spider trickster tales from Africa, folktales from the Indian subcontinent, Norse mythology, Greek mythology, Egyptian mythology, Hindu mythology, stories from the British Isles and European and Russian wondertales to name but a few.

These stories may be old, but Emily’s tellings are rooted in the here and now. absolutely present, full of participation, vibrant energy and rich imagery.

Storytelling Performances & Workshops

Emily offers storytelling assemblies or longer performances for classes, year groups or for the whole school. These can be theme-based or aimed at specific age groups from Reception upwards.

Alongside performances, Emily offers workshops to inspire and develop creative writing, speaking, listening and language skills, confidence building, drama skills, an understanding of narrative structure and much more.

These can be the perfect springboard for literacy work or tailor-made to fit any project, explore any theme or bring to life a specific subject area.

For Teachers

Emily also runs ‘Storytelling in the Classroom’ CPD sessions which develop teachers’ own storytelling skills, teach specific techniques and demonstrate how storytelling can be used to inspire and empower across the curriculum.


Costs vary from £350 per day plus travel.

Emily works across the whole of the UK.

Get in touch with your inquiry.

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