Visual imagination, creative writing skills, diplomacy and democracy have all been unleashed by local school children through a book retelling Hans Christian Anderson’s classic fairy tale ‘The Steadfast Tin Soldier’, now on display at the British Library.<br><br>The project, run at Islington’s Finsbury Library, saw Year 3 students from Clerkenwell Parochial School working with artists to create the drawings that make up the book.<br><br>After learning about the library and its facilities, the children first heard different versions of the story and wrote speeches in the character of the one-legged tin soldier who falls in love with a paper-doll ballerina.<br><br>The children’s visual interpretation of the classic led to the production of too many illustrations – an issue solved when the children took on editorial roles and used a democratic vote to select the images to be used from the 223 possibilities.<br><br>“The children’s enthusiasm for every aspect of this project was overwhelming and the beautiful result shows how this story is still inspiring readers more than 150 years after it was written,” said councilor Laura Willoughby, executive member for communities.<br><br>“Islington’s libraries are already some of the best used in the country and offer some fantastic resources and learning opportunities, but if this kind of project can bring in even more visitors and teach young people how to use the facilities confidently then all the better.”<br><br>The children were also shown examples of different binding materials and techniques and began by making small notebooks using dental floss to bind them together. A similar technique was used on the book of the Steadfast Tin Soldier.<br><br>The book is on display until 2 October as part of the British Library’s Bicentenary Hans Christian Andersen exhibition. Entry is free.<br><br>******Photo opportunity *******<br><br>What: Hans Christian Anderson bicentennial exhibition <br>When: Wednesday 14 September 2005, 6.30pm<br>Where: Finsbury Library, 245 St. John Street, EC1<br><br>ENDS<br><br>Editor’s notes<br>The book is part of the British Library’s Bicentenary Hans Christian Andersen exhibition and was supported with funding from EC1 New Deal and Islington Libraries and Cultural Services. The Barbican Arts Trust’s Artworks Project devised the project. It was devised to run concurrently with the British Library’s Bicentenary Hans Christian Andersen exhibition.<br><br>Writer Cheryl Moskowitz introduced the work of Hans Christian Andersen and the children began by searching for books by the author. Cheryl then read extracts from different versions of The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the children made comparisons between these.<br><br>Artist and filmmaker Magnus Irvin led the illustration workshops and encouraged the children to engage in the selection process, thereby adopting editorial roles.<br><br>Artist Steven Malies led the book binding workshops<br><br>The book was brought back to life thanks to Islington Council, EC1 New Deal and the Barbican Arts Trust's Artworks.<br><br>The British Library's free exhibition runs until 2 October 2005
Page Last Updated: 17 December 2009