Online resources

We have collected activity sheets, prompts, story games and storytelling channels that can be accessed online, in response to the global pandemic:

Action for Hope was founded in 2015 to provide cultural development and cultural relief programs that meet the social, cultural, and psychological needs of distressed and displaced communities. They launched a guidebook called 'New Sound: A Guide to an Alternative Music Education'. The resource is 'directed at music teachers and cultural workers who are active within marginalized communities that have little access to cultural services'. It is the first of its kind in the Arab region. There is more information about it here, where there is a link to download it, too.

Art Refuge have initiated a project in response to the lockdown, creating a quilt with images from all over the world. Find out more here!

AT The Bus runs a school-based programme of art as therapy to support the education, health and wellbeing of children and young people aged 7-18 in Oxfordshire. They run workshops from a purposely designed therapeutic studio space in a double decker bus! They have put some art projects up online, see here. In related news, AT The Bus have teamed up with London's Children Books Project, on The Story and Draw Project, which launched on April 23rd. Children Books Project is a charity that redistributes books to children and their families - in this collaborative project they are not only receiving books but art materials, too!

Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination (CCI) are a charity who set up projects with children and families in Cambridge communities. Throughout May, they are uploading Creative Care Invitations, working with five artists to share several different prompts for people of all ages.

do it is a project initiated in 1993 by Hans Ulrich Obrist, prompted by a conversation with Christian Boltanski and Bertrand Lavier, in which artists offer instructional art work, recipes in making. This kind of artwork has ties to FLUXUS work of the 60s and beyond, but is now a collected body of 'do its' made available and updated online. There is also a pdf (version 5.7.2020) located here, via the Independent Curators International. The 'do its' range from recordings, films, writings, visual stimuli and may be interpreted in myriads of ways.

Drawing Room have began posting activity sheets, as part of their programme involving children, ROCK PAPER SCISSORS, which is gathering material for an online exhibition. The activity sheets are uploaded here.

Firstsite is the East of England’s contemporary visual arts organisation where you can experience the most exciting developments in contemporary art. As well as a physical space in Essex, they also have launched artist activity packs available online.

Giocherenda have put together a Story Box, with a selection of games that can be played from home - find out more on their etsy website.

Hands Up Foundation are streaming storytelling videos on their youtube channel, performed by guest speakers such as David Dimbleby and Mishal Husain! They are a charity that funds health and education programmes in Syria and neighbouring countries using creative fundraising initiatives. They write:
Al Hakawati (the Storyteller) holds a special place in Syrian culture. We can't all meet in the pub, theatre or gym, but we can talk and listen from almost anywhere.

Similarly named The Hands Up Project (which you can find more about in our Directory) are continuing to run workshops online with children in Gaza. One of our nessi, Peter Oswald, is performing stories live every Saturday 1800 BST - the link is here!

Heart n Soul are an arts company and charity who believe in the talents and power of people with learning disabilities. Read more about their fantastic work and people here and download their creative packs here!

Kids in Museums are a charity that supports and champions family friendly organisations with a variety of programmes and activities. They have put together a webpage that shows what some museums have made available online. Some of the organisations included are the V&A Museum, Ashmolean Museum and St Fagans Museum!

Magic Realism Bot is a computer-generated bot that creates a story in a sentence every 4 hours, which is published on twitter.

The Old Fire Station is a public arts centre in Oxford who have organised a project called Postcards From a Pandemic, more of which can be read about here.

People United is a Kent-based arts charity that uses the arts and creativity to encourage empathy and kindness. They often work at the heart of communities, co-creating participatory artwork around themes that explore ideas related to kindness. They have launched a new participatory project, details of which can be found here!

Refugee Studies Centre, Oxford and the Global Refugee-Led Network co-hosted online seminars (May 20 + 27, June 10 + 17 2020) exploring questions relating to the series title '#ByRefugees: Strengthening refugee-led humanitarian response during the Covid-19 pandemic'. Videos of the webinars are available on their youtube website here.

Royal Drawing School are updating their blog regularly with drawing activities and suggestions, many of which can be found in their recently published book, Ways of Drawing

Satellite Studio have created Open Street Map Haiku, which generates haikus that are a response to your location!

Songlines is a project partnered with the International Rainwater Harvesting Alliance, exploring 'Songlines' - a potential methodology for mapping ‘nature-based solutions’ on decadal timescales. They are holding an online symposium on November 11th 2020. The symposium includes three presentations that trace 'Songlines from Indigenous Australian, Early-Modern English and Contemporary practice-based perspectives'.

Spaghetti Club is an after-school club at Grasmere Primary School set up by Michael Crowe. They have made an activity book, which can be bought for adults and children alike! More can be found out about them and their wonderful creations on their instagram page.

UNESCO and Idries Shah Foundation have teamed up to launch the World Tales Short Story Competition, which invites young teenagers from all over the globe to write about challenges of today and tomorrow in the format of a short story, and share their perspectives. All details for the submission (the deadline is 15 October 2020) can be found in the link above, where there is also a short video explaining the project!

UNHCR are keeping their blog updated with news of how they are responding to the virus in supplying aid to refugee camps. They also feature various messages of international solidarity and support.

If you know of any other websites or resources that can be shared, please do let us know! Our email is storiesintransitpalermo@gmail.com

We are working on compiling some Stories in Transit worksheets, too, so watch this space...