AUGUST NEWS | Holiday workshops, Book Club launch and new staff

Image: Salih Ishaq-Ojibara, Paris Balla and Participants at the Moonee Valley Book Club Launch.

We’re nearing the end of Term 3, and what a term it’s been! With the spring school holidays just around the corner, our building is buzzing with young storytellers ready to leap into new adventures.

These school holidays we’re running two big holiday workshops at 100 Story Building. Magic Time Dinosaurs (Prep- Year 2) invites young adventurers to imagine what happens when dinosaurs stomp through a classroom, bringing their stories to life with stories, drawings and colourful dioramas. For our older writers in school year levels 3–6, The Library of Unwritten Futures opens its mysterious doors for two days of creative discovery, as kids dream up unwritten worlds and bring them to life through storytelling and art.

We are thrilled to welcome Magenta Sheridan as our new Creative Programs Manager! Magenta brings over a decade of experience across the arts, education and literary sectors, most recently as CEO of Express Media. She has championed programs like Voiceworks and Toolkits, mentored young writers, and built inclusive creative spaces. At 100 Story Building, Magenta will lead the design and delivery of our programs, working alongside schools and communities to create more opportunities for children and young people to share their stories.

This month, we’ve been celebrating the journey of the Flemington Kids Book Club, which began in the lockdown as a way for children living in the Flemington public housing towers to connect through books and friendship. Since then, it has found new homes at the Canterbury Street Stables and Djerring Flemington Hub, supported by Moonee Valley Libraries and Rotary. With the coming changes to the estate, the book club has remained a safe and joyful place for kids to share stories, explore feelings of home, and celebrate their voices. The new anthology captures that journey, a spark of creativity in challenging times.

Finally, we’re pleased to announce that bookings for Term 4 are now open. Our workshops ignite imagination, build literacy skills, and help students find joy in writing, all while aligning with curriculum outcomes. Term 4 bookings are now open, so secure your preferred dates soon! Workshop options include: storytelling and creative writing, character and world-building, and narrative structure and writing confidence.

Wishing you a wonderful end to Term 3, and we can’t wait to see many of you over the spring holidays for a fresh season of stories and creativity.