Literacy Programme for Kids Brings Half-Term Puppetry and Reading Fun
An Oxford-based innovative literacy programme is partnering with Oxfordshire Libraries this half term to bring a series of free, fun, craft and story workshops for primary aged children.
Puppetry company, Wild Boor Ideas, are hosting sessions in Oxfordshire Libraries between 29th October and 1st November, the schools’ half-term week.
The workshops are inspired by themes in Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’ - ideas that have become central to our concept of Christmas spirit - generosity, being kind to others, forgiveness, gifts, giving and togetherness. These themes are used to tell a contemporary story using shadow puppets. Children are then able to design and create puppets for acting out Christmas stories that they listen to and simple stories that they read for themselves.
Jane Mason, Reader Services Development Manager at Oxfordshire County Libraries says: “We are absolutely delighted to work with local artists Wild Boor again in this fun puppet theatre event free to our audiences, courtesy of library-supporting funding. We enjoy helping audiences to find ways to express themselves. We also love watching others perform in libraries where families can have great experiences in their lives.”
This programme is part of a three-year project called Book Bonding, a scheme to support children’s literacy by linking sensory experiences with their love of stories, story-telling and reading. Making puppets can help them create their own adventures, or have parents and carers tell them stories until eventually they will be keen to read for themselves.
Each year, Book Bonding also includes a theatre performance. This year it will be Supermarket Scrooge, inspired by the Dickens’ tale, at Pegasus Theatre from 10th to 24th December. In the theatre show, Wilameana Scrooge is a supermarket owner who treats her employees and family very badly. On Christmas Eve she is visited by an all singing, all dancing, group of spirits from the grocery department, who are determined to change the villain’s ways.
To make the experience more memorable, the show is also accompanied by a cut out theatre booklet, with characters, designed by Wild Boor Ideas founder and artistic director Emma Boor, for children to make their own Supermarket Scrooge story.
Families can book spaces at the free half term workshops directly with the libraries.
Workshop Sessions
Blackbird Leys Library
Wednesday 29th October 2025 - 10:30 AM
01865 815116
Barton Library
Wednesday 29th October 2025 - 2:00 PM
01865 815112
Headington Library
Thursday 30th October 2025 - 10:30AM
01865 815160
Botley Library
Thursday 30th October 2025 - 2:00 PM
01865 815119
Oxford Westgate Library
Friday 31st October 2025 - 10:30 AM
01865 815509
Kennington Library
Friday 31st October 2025 - 2:30PM
01865 815167
Kidlington Library
Saturday 1st November 2025 - 10:30 AM
01865 815169
Cowley Library
Saturday 1st November 2025 - 2:00 PM
01865 815137
Christmas Production
Supermarket Scrooge
10th-24th December 2025
Pegasus Theatre, Magdalen Road, Oxford OX4 1RE
www.pegasustheatre.org.uk
The Book Bonding project is supported by funding from the National Lottery through Arts
Council England and is also supported by Oxford City Council and TORCH (The Oxford
Research Centre in the Humanities).
Supermarket Scrooge is a co-production between Wild Boor Ideas and Pegasus Theatre.
For more information, photographs or interviews contact Gill Jaggers
gill.jaggers@gmail.com
07961 922301
Wild Boor Ideas
Web: wildboor.com
Facebook: facebook.com/www.wildboor.ideas
Instagram: instagram.com/wildboor.ideas