On this page

• Project Lead
• Aim and Approach
• Practical Details
• Key Partnerships
• Activity and Outcomes
• Support
• Impact

Project lead

Gareth Osborne, Storyhaven project, since 2020

* Please note the Storyhaven website is currently being updated and therefore some of the links below may not work.  They will updated as soon as possible.

Aim and approach

Gareth is a children’s author and experienced teacher now undertaking a PhD in the Theatre Department.  His practice-based research focuses on new forms of storytelling which combine private experiences of reading with the social engagement of theatre.  From this, an idea emerged in response to the Covid-19 lockdowns to create an immersive online experience for children aged 8-12.  Storyhaven innovatively blends reading with writing, roleplay, a table-top game, and live-streamed drama.

Practical details

Several grants (including two from the Temple Quarter Engagement Fund totalling £12K) have supported game design, production & distribution; staging & online hosting costs; actors fees; and publicity.

Key partnerships

A dedicated creative team worked together to develop the project, with additional support from Seven Stories (the National Centre for Children's Books), Kit Theatre Company, and the Dreaming Methods Game Studio.

Activity and outcomes

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Gareth adapted his research to develop an activity which would support both children’s mental health and community arts practitioners.  He worked with a theatre maker, actor, illustrator, digital designer, videographer, and academic colleagues to co-produce an online interactive and inclusive reading game. 

Over 3-6 weeks children design their own characters, then work in small teams to navigate through the story.  The narrative incorporates videos of an actor playing a character to bring the children's roleplay to life.  Storyhaven was piloted during the November 2020 lockdown in a Bristol primary school. 

Feedback showed that pupils (even reluctant readers) were highly engaged, it boosted their love of reading and creative writing skills as well as improving social skills and mental wellbeing.  It can be used by teachers in virtual or socially-distanced classrooms and by families in quarantine at home. 

Gareth is further developing Storyhaven as a boxed game for flexible, low-cost delivery by bookshops or libraries, and by theatre companies with live-streamed, interactive performances to increase community engagement.  

Support

The Temple Quarter Engagement Fund gave grants for community projects in Bristol led by University staff or students.  The Public Engagement team assisted applicants from initial idea through to project completion with expert guidance and practical advice.

Impact

This innovative creative project has resulted in rich cross-disciplinary learning for Gareth, his academic and arts industry partners throughout the collaborative process.  Storyhaven was shortlisted for a New Media Writing Award 2020 and has won a Trailblazer grant from Bristol+Bath Creative R+D to develop a business plan and further partnerships.  Gareth says:

“It’s been a unique opportunity to gather research data and test theories in a practical setting.  I’ve also been able to realise the industry potential of my academic work with different sectors of the arts community.”.