Three colourful book benches, inspired by local residents’ favourite children’s authors and books, will take centre stage for Darlington’s first Bookfest (4-9 March).
The festival, organised by Darlington Libraries, is a weeklong extravaganza of storytelling, arts and crafts, music, Lego Block parties, author visits and more for the whole family to enjoy in celebration of World Book Day.
In the run up to the festival, library staff asked local residents to reveal their favourite children’s authors or share their favourite children’s book. The information was then used to commission three different artists to work with school pupils to design and create three fabulous Book Benches to be housed at Crown Street Library.
The Mayor of Darlington, Cllr Veronica Copeland, was invited to unveil the benches, each one with a different theme featuring the top choices of Roald Dahl, Julia Donaldson (creator of The Gruffalo) and traditional fairytales, at the launch of BookFest on Monday (4 March).
The benches are made of fibre glass and pupils from Corporation Road, Abbey, Rydal, Firthmoor, Hurworth, Haughton Academy, St John’s and Springfield schools worked with artists Donna Newman, Megan Evans and Daniel Weatheritt to design and decorate them.
The Mayor said:
“I’m thrilled to have been invited to launch our first BookFest bringing families together to mark World Book Day, an annual celebration of everything to do with books and reading.
“Books are not only a tool to help us learn new things, but can inspire the reader and open up whole new worlds for readers of any age to enjoy.
“It is a love of books which inspired the book benches, and the work of the artists and local pupils has created a fabulous new addition to the library which I hope will be enjoyed for years to come.”
Suzy Hill, Library Events Manager and BookFest organiser, added:
“We are absolutely delighted to be able to offer such a wide ranging activity programme for children and families in celebration of World Book Day.
“We hope to bring families together to experience something new and instil a love of books in all. The Book Benches have been inspired by the people of Darlington and we hope that visitors to the library, whatever their age, will enjoy them.”
Bookfest fun kicks off on Monday 4 March with Story Telling Adventure, a fantastic experience for children between two and five years old. Ran by the Imagine Me! preschool drama group, this event will ignite the imagination of youngsters. Sessions will be held throughout the day with a session for older children, aged 5-7, scheduled for after school.
Creative parents, grandparents, and carers are invited to take part in Story Boxes. Build and maintain a story box to help make stories at home more interactive and memorable. This event takes place Monday 4 March, 10.30am-12.30pm, and is an adult only session.
Join Garry Parsons, the award-winning illustrator of ‘The Dinosaur that Pooped…’ series, ‘Nuddy Ned’, and ‘Dragonsitters’ among many more, to find out what it’s like to be an illustrator at Dinosaurs, Dragons and Drawings. This fun, interactive even is on Tuesday 5 March, 4.30-5.30pm and is suitable for children ages five and above.
Find out how applique can offer a wide range of creative opportunities using scraps of fabric and a sewing needle in Fun with Fabric. In this adult only workshop, parents, grandparents, and carers will be provided with materials, learn applique techniques and take home their finished design. This event takes place on Wednesday 6 March between 9.30-11.30am.
Parents, grandparents, and carers can bring along the children to decorate some yummy cupcakes to take home in a Cupcake Decorating session on Wednesday 6 March, 1-3pm. This event is suitable for children aged three to five.
A gaming night is being held for 11-16 year olds, on Wednesday 6 Marth, 6.30-8pm. A Gamerholics video gaming session where you can test your skills against fellow gamers and make new friends.
Darlys Magic History Tour offers the chance for children five and above to experience an interactive story session for children aged five and above. This takes place on World Book Day, Thursday 7 March between 4.30-5.30pm and all who attend will receive a World Book Day voucher to spend in our local book shops.
Children aged two-five can take part in World of Books Arts and Crafts for stories, songs, and crafts. On Friday 8 March, 10.30am-12.30pm.
The Feather, the Tooth, and the Kiss is a friendship story where children aged two to five can sing songs, meet puppets, play with props and have fun. On Friday 8 March, 1.30-2.30pm.
Creative children can enter a world of imagination at the Lego Block Party, where they will build, race, and compete against one another using LEGO® bricks. All sessions take place on Saturday 9 March, and sessions for different age groups run throughout the day between 9.30am to 1pm.
A Stop Motion Animation workshop is being held for those who want to try their hand at making their own mini movie in stop motion animation, using a variety of tools from modelling clay and Lego to popular toy figures. The workshop is suitable for ages 11-16, and is on Saturday 9 March,1-3pm.
Charlie and the Awesome Authors is an exciting chance to learn about the world’s most famous authors in an engaging and unique way. Recommended for children aged five to seven and is on Saturday 9 March 9.45-10.30am and again at 10.45-11.30am.
For Harry Potter fans, BookFest offers a fantastic experience to take part in a lesson at Hogwarts. A Day at Hogwarts lets children take part in spell making lessons, potion creation, and wand control. Recommended for children between seven and 11. This event takes place on Saturday 9 March, with two sessions at 12-1.30pm, and 2-3.30pm.
Finally, travel back to the 60s with The Phat Tyrtles and join BIG Little Gig on Saturday 9 March, 4.30-5.30pm. Expect the usual fun with family friendly live music, craft, singalong, and a space to shake your stuff! 60s fancy dress is very welcome.
All tickets are FREE, but places are limited and must be booked in advance. Tickets are available at www2.darlington.gov.uk.
Photo caption: Seated L-R: Suzy Hill (Library Events Manager) and the Mayor of Darlington Cllr Veronica Copeland; standing: Laura Pattison (Library Events Officer)