Primary & nursery school visits
Primary workshops involve drawing, writing, magic and storytelling. The Queen’s Knickers workshops are a favourite. The children enjoy an hour of magic and drawing and a competition to decorate a pair of paper knickers for the Queen, with edible prizes. They also discover what the Queen revealed to Nicholas when he visited her at Buckingham Palace, and the Prime Minister’s reaction when Nicholas gave him a copy at No 10!
Up to three sessions can be accommodated in a day, up to 90 children a session.
For Nursery there is More and More Rabbits. Mr. & Mrs. Tail have too many babies: how many more can they have? Bunnies appear by magic, sometimes in the teachers' very hands! Hilarious, magical fun with a workshop of decorating paper rabbits, and magically produced edible prizes for all!
For Christmas, Nicholas performs a presentation and workshop of his popular bestseller, Father Christmas Needs A Wee.
His reading of the story includes illustration, magic, chocolate, and audience participation. A workshop follows in which children make special Christmas underpants – edible prizes for all! The performance ends with a spectacular illusion in which a pair of paper pants is transformed to a snow-storm which fills the hall!
Also available is the book
Jesus' Christmas Party,
a bestseller for twenty years.
A musical for schools of the book can be found on
Upper primary and secondary school visits
While television and film now dominate as the most attractive means of communication for children, reading remains essential. Nicholas Allan’s storyboarding and strip cartoon sessions awaken an interest in writing for those children unresponsive to traditional reading and writing exercises. Nicholas talks about his BAFTA-winning television series Hilltop Hospital, and shows the £5000 models used in production.
Children create their own individual storyboards or strip-cartoons – complimenting illustration and text.
The story-writing workshops use Nicholas’s own best-selling books. The different stages of book production are described with examples.
From thinking up ideas, characters, and storylines, the children embark together on producing a finished picture book. If it is good enough, Nicholas will forward it to his editor. One school had a book accepted – and the royalties went to the school!
Fees negotiable – distance no obstacle.