Performances
John works young people of all ages from Year 1 right up to University level. Unlike most other visitors to schools he is also happy to tell stories to Reception age children but would suggest that they have a shorter session on their own at the start of the day.
A visit from John is usually for a full day which will consist of 3, 4 or 5 storytelling sessions and a book signing. Performances last between 40 and 90 minutes, depending on the timetable for the day, the ages and number of the children involved, and so on.
If you have a particular theme or topic that you need stories on please let John know. He probably already has suitable stories in his repertoire, but if not he can find or develop them if he`s given enough notice.
He also has a series of programmes already prepared for the different Key Stages which you can see if you click on the links to the right.
Alternatively, you can leave it up to John. When he arrives he gets a feel for the school and the pupils and decides which stories he thinks they`d most like to hear.
(The stories are all in his head so he always arrives prepared!)
The maximum audience sizes are strictly no more than 60 for reception classes, preferably no more than 100 for KS1 and 2 and no more than 60 for KS3+. This is because John works very hard at establishing - and then maintaining - eye contact with every member of the audience so that they feel totally involved, and above these numbers that gets more difficult and the whole experience becomes less personal and more theatrical. (Please note that John doesn`t work with children younger than Reception Class age.)
There are no technical requirements - all he needs is something to sit on so everyone can see him, and an audience.
We do ask, however, that the performances take place in a quiet space where there are no disruptions, distractions or through-traffic. We also ask that if you want to take photographs please do so at the beginning and the end of the sessions when John is talking to the children but NOT during the stories themselves.