Author
visits and workshops for schools, libraries and museums,
from Scottish illustrator and children's author Moira
Munro. Mainly around Glasgow, Scotland.
See
the menu for feedback
from children and teachers, and sessions for adults.
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Visits> Sessions for children
Visits and workshops for children
A variety of formats to inspire you
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I love doing author / illustrator visits, inspiring
others and being inspired in return.
I'm open to any of your suggestions for a visit, but
here are some formats that have worked well:
I can visit schools, festivals, community groups, libraries,
bookshops etc.
Get some ideas here, read sine if the feedback I got from children and adults, then go to "Booking
a visit" for practical information.
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I thinked your illustration's
were fantastic.
When I get home I'm going to write a story about
a bear.' (Katie, P6)
Photo reproduced
by kind permission of East Renfrewshire Council
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Puppies, Mermaids and Meanies
Age: 7 upwards (or P3 upwards)
Duration: 1 hour (or more)
Numbers: Twenty to thirty children. Parents welcome,
as always.
Go to "Booking
a visit" for practical information.
Theme
The best thing about stories is the characters. Kittens don't have to be cute, mermaids don't have to be wet, and we all love meanies. Characters are fun to imagine and to draw. Writer and illustrator Moira Munro brings you the Finger of Doom and other weird and wonderful ways to create your own awesome characters.
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By Jack of St Bartholomew's PS, Glasgow |
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What's the plan?
Fun and silliness. Interactive and hands on. Depending on the type of group and your preferences, some storytelling (e.g. from my story "The mermaid who came to school"), and some games to develop and draw an exciting character.
What the children get out of it
The children will have fun imagining a character and making it come to life with the way it speaks, acts, and looks.
Meeting a writer and illustrator, and hearing some of the inside stories about the job, can make books, reading, writing, drawing, take on a new life.
As a result children are likely to read with more enjoyment,
some may be stimulated to write more, others to draw, and all will have had an experience of using
many creative skills.
This has some of the elements of the cartoon workshop proposed for
P5 upwards, but with less empasis on drawing tips (I
find that younger kids are quite happy with the skills
they have), and more time spent on stories.
You can see some comments from schoolchildren on "The Mermaid who Came to School" here and feedback I received from this type of session here. |
By Kaitlynn of St Bartholomew's PS, Glasgow |
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Cartoon
workshops for children
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Age: 9 upwards (or P5 upwards)
Duration: 1 hour is plenty. If you'd like children
to have lots of time to draw, or for me to cover writing
as well as drawing, 2 hours is better.
Numbers: Up to 50 children. Parents welcome,
as always.
Go to "Booking
a visit" for practical information.
Theme
Glasgow writer, illustrator
and cartoonist Moira Munro uses cartoon strips to poke
fun at the world. Wouldn't you love to make fun of the
adults in YOUR life? Have a go at turning wicked ideas
into cartoons and try out Moira's secret drawing tips.
It's even more exciting if you think you're rubbish
at drawing. Just bring some mischief, and get ready
to have fun!
Content
I show the children how I experiment to come up with
characters. I share my tips for giving them expression
and movement. In a longer workshop I can cover the storyline
and text in a cartoon strip, i.e. the writing as well
as the drawing. The workshop is hands-on all the way
through: volunteers help me at the flip-chart, and everyone
gets to draw for themselves.
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Before
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After
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By Adelle of Prestonfield
Primary School
"Draw a really
angry grown-up": At the beginning of the
session, and again at the end. It's normal to
stick to a few safe formulas for drawing, so
I'm very pleased if my intrepid audience has
tried something different and enjoyed surprising
themselves by the end of the session.
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What the children get out
of it
My aim is for children to enjoy doodling and experimenting
without fear of failure, because cartoons can look great
even if you're not skilled at realistic drawing. Those
who are already confident at drawing may learn new tips,
which they can apply to their prefered style of drawing.
Children who are reluctant to read or write may also
enjoy having a go at a cartoon strip.
As I give them quite a lot of quick tips to try out,
there may not be enough time to have a finished product,
a complete cartoon to display. But usually children
are keen to continue on their own later.
You can see feedback I received from this type of session here.
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Before
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After
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By
Anessa of Prestonfield Primary School
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Teachers and librarians:
Did you know you can get the children involved in discussing
and assessing books shortlisted for awards? In
Scotland there's the Scottish Children's Books Awards, which gets thousands of children in Primary and Secondary schools reading and discussing books.
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Two pictures by children from St John the Baptist PS, Uddingston
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The Anna Wilson - Moira Munro double act
Age: 7 upwards (or P3 upwards)
Duration: 1 hour (or more)
Numbers: Big numbers are fine
Go to "Booking
a visit" for practical information.
Theme
Anna Wilson is the author of a series of highly popular Puppy and Kitten books, which I illustrated. We live at opposite ends of the UK, so it's a rare event when we meet up for some joint sessions. But when we do... two "utter nutters" and a crowd of kids acting like monkeys: it's hard to beat.
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Anna Wilson, author of Puppy Love, Kitten Smitten etc, with Moira Munro
and the amazing kids of St Teresa's Primary |
Interested? Practical details are on "Booking
a visit"
Any questions? Do contact me!
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