The Boys and Girls Club of Fitchburg and Leominster

“On September 12th 2012, a group of ten children- 4 boys and 6 girls, ages 8-11, participated in a stonework inspired story telling workshop. This event took place at the boys and girls club of Fitchburg and Leominster, MA, as part of their visiting artists series.”
“The workshop lasted one hour. The group of children, who volunteered, gathered to participate in what was called a special art project using stones.

“All of the children became fully engaged, very quickly. As a group, the girls were very deliberate and selective, as to which stones they chose. The boys chose theirs more randomly.

When their stonework task was completed, the children were asked to draw a representational picture of their project. Many carefully traced their stones, one by one. Most girls were comfortable writing stories, while boys were more descriptive of their work.”

“The unusual sun - Once upon a time there was a sun. The sun had a bunch of unusual colours. All the mean clouds said the sun was unusual. The sun did not care. It just liked to be its own way.”

“Happy sun, happy girls - One day a girl was sad because she had no one to play with. Then another girl saw her sitting outside. She went outside to see what happened to her...
“Are you ok?” she said, “ the girl said “no”, sadly. “Want to play tag? “ she said.
“Yes”. And they played.”

“The wonderful, colourful butterfly - There was a butterfly and she was so colourful, like different kinds of rocks.

One day she went to the store to get a flower smoothie. Every other butterfly gave her a weird look. She went home and cried, because she knew no one liked her. Then she gave a speech, how not to judge, and she lived happily ever after.”

Fitchburg Leominster Boys and Girls Club, Leominster, MA USA

Collaborative research project with The Elizabeth Jarman® Foundation (UK), "Stonework Inspires Storytelling,” 2013.pg 42-43 Stonework Play