A cross-artform schools residency, using autobiography to reflect and celebrate children’s personal and cultural identity.

Home Stories is underpinned by a belief that through cultural inclusion an underlying commonality of human experience can be expressed and the project seeks to forge new connections between the participants through the inclusion, recognition and celebration of cultural difference. Autobiography is central to Home Stories and children’s personal and cultural identity is at the heart of the work.

During 2001 and 2002, Home Stories projects took place in four Westminster primary schools and one in the borough of Southwark, each spanning ten weeks of an academic term.

Home Stories has taken many different forms, sometimes combining family stories with class drama exploration of a source text such as "The Green Children" by Kevin Crossley-Holland. On other occasions, work developed from a starting point as individual as the meaning of a name, or an object or artefact acting as a touchstone to memory.

During the course of the project, the children worked with a range of teaching artists, including a storyteller, poet, writer, visual artist, choreographer, drama worker, composer and musician. Parents and family members supported the children’s research at home, some attended after-school storytelling sessions, and many attended the final presentations that combined artwork, music, singing, dance and drama.

Home Stories was funded by Westminster Arts, Westminster SRB and North Southwark Education Action Zone

Reports currently available are:

Homing In – an account of the Home Stories Project at Edward Wilson Primary School, Westminster (March 2002)

Home Stories – an Evaluation of the Pilot Project at Essendine Primary School, Westminster (May 2001)

To obtain a printed copy of either report at a cost of £1.00 plus £1.50 p&p, please contact education@unicorntheatre.com