The North East has a rich heritage of storytelling, deeply rooted in oral traditions, where local ballads, folktales, and myths have been passed down through generations. Stories are often centred around significant landmarks like Hadrian’s Wall and coastal castles – think of the famous Lambton Worm, or When the Boat Comes In. These stories have all contributed to the unique and complex cultural tapestry of the region, and the people who live and have lived here.

Spinning Yarns is a 1-day storytelling and theatre project, where students come together to work with a team of theatre practitioners, puppeteers and musicians, to write and and perform their own stories, inspired by their lives today.

Students create their own large scale ‘crankie’ (a storytelling device that uses a long, illustrated scroll wound around two spools and cranked through a box). Together they devise their own stories, which shine a light on their lives in the North East in 2025. What is their relationship to the region? Which places and spaces do they consider home? What are their hopes and dreams for the future?

Students also work together with musicians to develop a musical score which accompanies their crankie.

Friends, family and school communities join us after the workshops, for a performance of the students’ crankie. Students perform the crankie, puppetry and musical accompaniment, and take on lighting, sound and set roles.