Early Years

Participants enjoy an outdoor PlayTime.

"You have created such rich opportunities. Look how immersed my granddaughter is! It's delightful that you have the confidence to take the children's lead and allow them to shape the play".

Grandparent


"We often find ourselves carrying on playing games connected to the theme we explored.
It shapes our whole day!"
Parent


"You're such a fantastic storyteller! You hold the children spellbound with all the fantastic actions and different character's voices.

I love watching them all sitting utterly engaged!"
Parent


"You had such a wide range age of children at your Make Sunday Special superhero workshop but everyone was engaged, creating and happy. Brilliant!"

Community Event Organiser


StorySpinners


These three audio stories are by applied theatre students from Bristol University who were on placement with us between February - May 2021. The ideas in these stories came from suggestions sent into us by smalls, and the students spun the ideas into three new stories.

eight episodes released in April 2021

live until end of June 2021

StorySpinners is applied theatre project with theatre students from Bristol University. We read children's stories, then invited children to send us ideas for new stories.

We will share these new stories on 14th May 2021 in support of Pyjamarama Day by Booktrust.

"Whatever Next!"
written & illustrated by Jill Murphy

Read by Rosanna

"The Gruffalo"
written by Julia Donaldson
illustrated by Axel Scheffler

Read by Eirinn

"Wake Up Do, Lydia Lou!"
written by Julia Donaldson
illustrated by Karen George

Read by Jazz

"The Smartest Giant in Town"
written by Julia Donaldson
illustrated by Axel Scheffler

Read by Alannah

"What the Ladybird Heard"
written by Julia Donaldson
illustrated by Lydia Monks

Read by Amber

"You're Called What?"
written by Kes Gray
illustrated by Nikki Dyson

Read by Tara

"I Really Want Cake"
written by Simon Phillip
illustrated by Lucia Gaggiotti

Read by Paul

"You Must Bring A Hat"
written by Simon Phillip
illustrated by Kate Hindley

Read by Gill

The Story Spinners are published with kind permission from the publishers, authors and illustrators involved.

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PlayTime Things That Go 014

We love play. We love how it enriches everyone. We particularly know how vitally important it is for the healthy development of young children.


Brave Bold Drama's first ever funded community art project was a series of imaginative play sessions called PlayTimes back in 2014. These sessions encourage high quality, immersive and imaginative play between children and their carers in early years' settings, libraries and at community events. 


Between September 2014 and January 2016 we were funded by Hengrove Community Arts Fund. Bristol City Council Creative Seed Fund and B&NES to deliver weekly PlayTimes in Southern Links Children's Centre, Hartcliffe Children's Centre, Knowle West Children's Centre and Radstock Children's Centre in partnership with Victoria Hall, Radstock.


We also delivered a week of PlayTimes in June 2018 during Children's Art Week in children's centres and libraries in Bishopsworth, Withywood, Hartcliffe and Stockwood. We have created bespoke themed PlayTimes for many organisations including St Werburgh's City Farm, Ashton Vale Hub, Speedwell Nursery and Gloucester Library.

The Importance of Battenberg Cake
a FREE audio story made for Booktrust's Pyjamarama Day, 1st May 2020

A brand new audio story for 2-5 year olds made especially in support of Pyjamarama Day, 1st May 2020, a nationwide event by Booktrust to encourage support for their work, ensuring all children have access to stories as they are growing up.

Made by Gill Simmons with important suggestions from Iggy, Daniel and Adam who requested the story include clouds, a frog, a fairy, a dragon, a snow leopard, a car park and the colours yellow and pink.


Watch the film first, then hear the story via the link below.


This story is FREE. Please support Booktrust and us if you can! 


Listen to The Importance of Battenberg Cake

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