Tale of the Unexpected

Kirkby Gallery was transformed into a giant walk-through story book this summer, with 21 different poems and stories written by over 500 primary school pupils from 16 Knowsley schools.

‘Tale of the Unexpected’ ran from 1 August – 17 September with more than a thousand visitors taking the unique opportunity to journey through the fantastic imaginations of local school children.

The exhibition was created through a five-month programme of teacher-assisted sessions led by creative writer Susan Comer who supported primary school pupils to produce a story or poem inspired by the area of Knowsley they live in, whether that was historical landmarks, local people or an urban myth.

The resulting stories written by the children featured a wide variety of themes, ranging from The War Horse in Halewood to a Viking called Sven and even Stephenson’s Rocket.

The work supporting the schools was funded by The Eleanor Rathbone Charitable Trust.