Hull’s newest screen stars lit up the red carpet last night at a special premiere event celebrating the magic of reading aloud and the power of performance.
Hosted at Hull Central Library, the glamorous event marked the finale of ‘Hull’s Young Storytellers: Lights, Camera, Read!’, a creative literacy project that saw 36 year five pupils from six Horizon Academy Trust primary schools transform into storytellers, performers and on-screen presenters.
From storyboarding to performance, the children threw themselves into every stage of the process, culminating in the creation of six brilliant read-aloud films of picture books published by Andersen Press, the project’s publishing partner.
Arriving in style to a buzzing red carpet and photographs, the young storytellers were met with cheers from proud families, teachers and special guests, including local industry professionals from the city’s creative industries, representatives from the James Reckitt Library Trust, and Andersen Press, including Peter Bently, author of “Dogdunnit” one of the books featured in the project.
A cinematic screening of their read-aloud films followed, alongside the first-ever HOSCARS awards ceremony – Hull’s Own Storytime Oscars – where every child was celebrated for their unique storytelling superpowers.
Michelle Alford, Director of Library Services at Hull Culture and Leisure Ltd, said: “I felt incredibly proud and emotional yesterday evening. The skills journey and confidence of the children was evident in the film. It was a joy to watch and has unearthed some incredible talent, as well as giving the children an amazing experience.
“Our SLS (School Library Service) team have been phenomenal as always, not just in the arrangements for this evening but the dedication, creativity and hard work every day to bring experiences such as this to children in the city. The wider Library Service team has also been incredible in ensuring the very first HOSCARs was a grand occasion.”
The evening was hosted by project lead Hannah Levy, founder of Storytime with Hannah & Patrick. Hannah said: “This project has been pure joy from start to finish. Watching the children grow in confidence as they found their voices and took ownership of their storytelling was honestly magical.
“Last night, they weren’t just reading stories – they were owning the stage.”
Julie Shortman, Headteacher of Thanet Primary School, said: “It was an absolute treat and a joy to witness the final films last night! I’d expected the evening to be good, but it totally exceeded my expectations – very professional.
“Seeing the children’s faces watching the other films and then their own was just fantastic. I’m sure it’ll be something they will remember forever. It also just goes to show the power of reading in unlocking so much more than reading. I’d love to see this continue, but for the reach to spread even wider by including more children.”
Hull-born Chris Hees, BAFTA winning producer, Bridge Way Films, said: “Seeing these young creatives express themselves through film and performance was amazing! We’ve got so much talent in this city and events like this prove just how important it is to harness that talent at a young age. Congratulations to everyone involved.”
The films will also be showcased at this year’s Big Malarkey Festival, held at East Park on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 June, offering an exciting opportunity for the wider community to experience the children’s incredible storytelling and creativity in a supportive, family-friendly setting.
Supported by the James Reckitt Library Trust, in partnership with Hull Schools’ Library Service, Hull Libraries, Horizon Academy Trust and Andersen Press, and created by Storytime with Hannah & Patrick, led in collaboration with Katie Harriman, founder of local film production company Fly Girl Films, Michael Kinsey, local screen actor/ director and founder of Screen Acting East Yorkshire, and Alison Shaw, local actor/playwright and founder of Young Playwrights, Hull’s Young Storytellers has aimed to ignite a lifelong love of reading – one page, one performance, and one child at a time.
