Grimm and Co

Located in the heart of Rotherham, Grimm & Co is a “story destination”— its building and programmes are designed to highlight the power of stories and to encourage the children of South Yorkshire to think creatively about storytelling. The initiative was formed in 2016 in response to Rotherham’s historically low literacy rates. It is based on an earlier action research project undertaken by the University of Sheffield, which demonstrated the role creativity might play in shifting child literacy levels amongst Rotherham’s most disadvantaged areas. Grimm & Co’s roster of activities includes Story Making, where school groups create their own illustrated storybooks; Comedy Writing, in which students work together to produce a sitcom; and Dragon’s Lair, which challenges young people to undertake product development for magical customers, culminating in pitch presentations to real dragons. The organisation’s school residencies take the form of Inside Story, in which a team of ‘storyologists’ work with students on a series of creative writing challenges.