Pearlcatchers LTD

Our workshop leader, Fiona Angwin has a degree in Zoology and is a professional actress. She has used both backgrounds in a number of conservation-based theatre projects. Alongside her acting work, Fiona has been a presenter/zookeeper at Chester Zoo, a museum curator, a bat officer and a freelance writer. Currently she is working as an informal consultant for London Zoo. She is a licensed bat worker and has been involved in conservation work for the last sixteen years.

The events include a number of practical games and activities to illustrate the point and (in the case of Wild Games and Around the Campfire) a storytelling experience, where a solo performer uses masks, puppets and visual effects to create a unique magical event.

These workshops are designed for numbers up to 40 and prices start from around £500. These events can be run in the evening, or alternatively could be held on a weekend as part of a zoo visit (most zoos have rooms available for this sort of activity).

Wild Games

An informative two and a half hour session using storytelling and a range of environmental games to find out more about animals, such as:

How they use their senses as both predators and prey.
Their role in the environment.
Issues around endangered species and extinction.
The diversity and destruction of rainforests.

The workshop also includes the story 'Saving the Squatlick'.

"In a remote rainforest, undiscovered by man, lives the squatlick - a small unattractive creature whose saliva has amazing healing powers. When brilliant young conservationist Vicky Tillett discovers the creature, she is even more desperate to stop the deforestation that is threatening the squatlick's habitat. Meanwhile, her big brother, Professor Harry Tillett, has run out of funding for his research into cloning, just as he is about to make a breakthrough. Could the squatlick solve both their problems, and end illness worldwide? Or will Harry's accidental cloning of himself ruin everything?"

On Leathern Wings

Whether you think they're cute and fluffy or the stuff of nightmares, there's no denying that bats are one of the most misunderstood creatures on the planet. On Leathern Wings gives you the chance to find out more about these fascinating creatures. A two to two and a half hour session, which would involve:

An illustrated take about British and foreign bats - and their place in the environment and in popular culture around the world.
A chance to examine some objects involving bat images from other cultures.
A range of fun games and activities exploring how bats use sound and looking at their crucial role in the environment.
A chance to meet some live captive bats.
Make your own lasting memory from the day!

Around the Campfire (Native American Tales)

A collection of traditional Native American stories and songs woven together. Featuring recurring characters such as the Bear, The Coyote and The Raven, these stories show the Native American approach to living in harmony with nature and using the earth's resources wisely. The storytelling can be followed up by a workshop, looking at the storytelling itself, the value of stories and the need for fiction. It explores the issues of truth, half-truth and lies and how the characteristic language of storytelling helps to differentiate between fact and fiction.

The event is rounded off by a practical exercise around totem poles. Every picture tells a story - and this is also the case with a totem pole. The audience is split into teams and each team member is responsible for designing their own section of the totem pole in isolation. The team will then come together and build a totem pole out of the individual sections. The completed pole must both fit together and stand unsupported and also form the foundation of a story, which the team must recount to the audience.