Brightlingsea Primary School pupils team up with BBC poet on project

Brightlingsea Primary School and Nursery teamed up with BBC6 Poet in Residence Murray Lachlan Young to develop an augmented reality story called The Chronicles of Atom and Luna.

Mr Lachlan Young, who says the experience is Hans Christian Andersen meets Pokemon Go, and director Nina Hajiyianni worked with young people online to help develop the story.

He said: “We want to inspire and enable children to get lost in language, learn how to create their own stories and develop a love for live performance.”

Emily Smith, assistant headteacher at Brightlingsea Primary School, then took those creative tasks and turned them into an online scheme of work for schools, which is now being used throughout the UK.

The Chronicles of Atom and Luna tells the story of twins, Atom and Luna.

Fairytale - Atom and Luna

Home alone, they are saved from starvation by the arrival of their magical childminder, Iffly Sney.

But Iffly falls terribly ill and only the twins can save him by seeking out the mysterious Old Mother Redbeard.

The interactive experience allows children to search for Old Mother Redbeard in a forest ahead of the twins.

Ms Hajiyianni said: “It’s so important to us that we make our stories with children, and that’s where the schools’ resources come in.

“Everything the children create and send to us, we’ll use to inspire us in the developing story of Atom and Luna.”

Ms Smith said: “I’ve been delighted to work with the team to create these educational resources.

“We tested them pre-lockdown and it was fantastic to see our young people engage with Murray and all the tasks, creating poems, maps, spell recipes and drawings – and all the time learning about what makes a good story.”

Quest for Old Mother Redbeard has been commissioned by The Space – a digital development agency supported by Arts Council England.

Chief executive Fiona Morris said: “The experience will allow audiences to interact with this magical fairy tale in an immersive environment and help engage young minds in language and storytelling.”

The project has also been supported by Arts Council England.

Amy Vaughan, East of England director of Arts Council England, said: “Augmented Reality offers a powerful way to create a more immersive experience and I hope that everyone enjoys joining Atom and Luna on their journey through the magical forest.

“Now more than ever, arts, culture and creativity are providing vital opportunities for children and young people to feel connected.”

To find out more about how the story will unfurl, sign up to funnelwicklimb.com.