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The Power of Stories: Original work inspired by The Bone Sparrow

As part of our community engagement work around The Bone Sparrow, we asked the students of Lyng Hall School to tell us about a special object and what it means to them.

Here you can listen to the students describing their objects: Darren, Javion, Keeley, Kyra, Labeebah, Safiyah, Shannon, Skye, Temi, Tristan and Wiktoria.

Listen to the micro-stories here: Ali, Daniela, Darren, Farzaad, Ibrahim, Javion, Jordan, Kyle, Labeebah, Macie, Matthew, Rahella, Safiyah, Shanaye, Skye, Temi, Tristan, Wiktoria and Yathreb.

 

The Bone Sparrow is a novel by Zana Fraillon, which has been adapted for stage by award-winning playwright S. Shakthidharan. Presented by Pilot Theatre in co-production with the Belgrade Theatre, York Theatre Royal, Mercury Theatre Colchester and Derby Theatre for Coventry UK City of Culture 2021. It runs in our B2 auditorium from Tues 22 – Sat 26 March.

We are proud to be a Theatre of Sanctuary, and has been working with partners across the city to examine what stories mean to us, how we share them, and the questions that they pose.

 

What stories do the objects we care about hold?

We recently ran drama sessions focused on exploring a story within the larger narrative of The Bone Sparrow, in which a bone sparrow necklace plays a prominent role. These sessions were attended by a member of Sharing Cultures (a group of adult sanctuary seekers – run in partnership with the Belgrade and Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre) and students from Lyng Hall School.

Laura Nyahuye led the storytelling workshops, introducing participants to objects from Zimbabwe, sharing her stories, and exploring how objects can hold metaphor in narratives. The students then created their own stories based on an object of their choosing.

Laura Nyahuye is a Zimbabwean born storyteller and artist who resides in Coventry. Her work challenges perceptions. More about Laura can be found here.

Nikki Scott is the drama teacher at Lyng Hall School who, in collaboration with Belgrade Theatre staff, has supported the following students to tell the stories they have created.

More about the Belgrade Theatre’s work as a Theatre of Sanctuary can be found here.

 

Find out more about the other strands of work around The Bone Sparrow: