NEW NATIONAL INITIATIVE TO INSPIRE READING, WRITING AND STORIES
BY CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE
LAUNCHES WITH THE STORY THAT MOVES
The Story that Moves project aims to champion the story-maker in every child and will travel around the UK beginning this autumn in east London and will tour to Oxford, Rotherham, Liverpool, Manchester, Exeter and Cornwall until April 2027.
The Story that Moves is a giant, 1.5m high story book which will be hosted by eight partner ‘Story Venues’, each rooted in their local communities and united by a shared commitment to empowering children and young people. From London to Yorkshire, and from Cornwall to the North-West of England, The Story that Moves is a joint project which moves between the network of Story Venues in celebration of the National Year of Reading 2026. A permanent home will be found for the finished story book artwork as the project concludes next year and aims to offer a national snapshot of children’s relationship with stories. Additionally, The Story that Moves will endure as a published book which includes story ideas for readers to build their own pick and mix stories.
Forming a centrepiece for bespoke writing workshops facilitated by writers, performers and storytellers, the project is designed to collect original stories created by young participants and their families. The Story that Moves book is a large, specially commissioned artwork by Will Atkins of Make Relief, which will grow as each venue on the national tour adds their distinctive story contribution. Arriving with a kit of story parts, the adaptable book offers the freedom for participants to choose a different story genre, from adventure to mystery to science fiction, but adheres to the essentials of story – setting, character, plot – with the intention of generating a kaleidoscope of child-led stories, unleashed from young imaginations across the country.
Award-winning and bestselling children’s author and Ministry of Stories Ambassador, Piers Torday, commented: “The Story that Moves is a thrilling project which will spark connections and increase self-confidence for children and young people everywhere. Stories, storytelling and writing have the power to increase empathy, to deepen understanding and to build a sense of belonging and a better idea of who we are and why we matter. To all those story writers of the future: go for it!”
The Story Venues is a group of creative venues and story spaces, which together engage over 380,000 children and young people each year through the delivery of immersive programmes, creative writing workshops, exhibitions, performances and community-led initiatives. The work of the cohort began during lockdown in 2020, supported by Arts Council England, and has developed into the forging of the Story Venues partnership as an ambitious network capable of delivering at national scale and reach, whilst fostering vibrant local impact in a diverse range of communities.
There are eight Story Venues collaborating on The Story that Moves, all passionate about championing the voices of young people: Alibi (Exeter), Discover (East London), Grimm & Co (Rotherham), Ministry of Stories (East London), The Reader (Liverpool), The Story Museum (Oxford), The Writer’s Block (Cornwall) and Z-Arts (Manchester). Through the unique, immersive environments of each organisation, this joint project is a key next step in longer-term collaboration to develop the creativity of children, young people and families in the UK, encouraging their engagement with reading, writing and story.
This project is funded and supported by Arts Council England.
THE STORY THAT MOVES
Schedule
LONDON, Discover Children’s Story Centre
383-387 High Street, Stratford, London E15 4QZ
LONDON, Ministry of Stories
Second Floor, 138 Shoreditch Stables (North), Kingsland Road, London E2 8DY
OXFORD, The Story Museum, from 23 October
42 Pembroke Street, Oxford OX1 1BP
ROTHERHAM, Grimm & Co, w/c 16 November
Ship Hill, Rotherham, Yorkshire S60 2HG
LIVERPOOL, The Reader, w/c 11 January
The Mansion House, Calderstones Park, Liverpool L18 3JB
MANCHESTER, Z-arts, w/c 29 January
335 Stretford Road, Hulme, Manchester M15 5ZA
EXETER, Theatre Alibi, w/c 19 February
Emmanuel Hall, Emmanuel Road, St Thomas, Exeter, Devon EX4 1EJ
CORNWALL, The Writer’s Block, Redruth, w/c 12 March
The Ladder, 2-4 Clinton Road, Redruth, Cornwall TR15 2QE