Oxford Story Museum visit
Updated: Mar 16
A few weeks ago, Jacari Oxford pupils visited The Story Museum in Oxford to explore the galleries, listen to stories and fables from around the world and get involved in an arts and crafts activity.
Our visit started in The Whispering Wood, where every tree has a story to tell and a secret to reveal. Among the trees, in a clearing bathed in cool, green light, we were joined by our guide James who introduced us to the story of the The Turtle Who Wanted to Fly. This peaceful gallery explores the history of storytelling and introduces us to folktales from around the world.
Our next destination was The Enchanted Library. Tall bookshelves filled with a range of stories and books from across the world line this mysterious corridor. Small galleries hidden from view immerse visitors into the worlds of famous books. First of all, we join Alice as she decides whether to eat the cake and drink from the bottle. Next, we’re in the Hundred Acre Wood playing pooh sticks on a bridge, watching the river below. We’re then taken on a journey through a wardrobe of fur coats to a forest covered with snow.
We then moved on to Ka-Boom! The Art of Creating Comics. Moving through this giant pop-up comic book, everyone was immersed in the world of cartoons! From creating narratives and characters to putting the finishing touches to illustrations and storyboards, this interactive gallery proved popular among Jacari pupils.
From the galleries, we headed upstairs to a workshop space in which pupils and volunteers created a wonderful array of artwork, craft and storyboards related to The Turtle Who Wanted to Fly.
The Story Museum is a fantastic setting for children and young people learning English as an Additional Language to explore language through stories from around the world. Storytelling reveals connections between cultures and can support solidarity and cohesion among communities. With our pupils speaking 22 different languages between them, there is much opportunity for our tuition programme at Jacari to include sharing of tales and stories from around the world.
Thank you to James and the team at the Story Museum who organised such a wonderful visit for our pupils. We will most certainly be back!
