The workshops were in the Make and Take tent at the Hay Festival - a lovely bright, open space for kids to get crafty, draw or read books. And it's free - so, as you can imagine it's chocca during the Half Term week. Terribly Tall Terry was a huge hit and almost lost his legs a few times. I have the sweetest video of a little girl hugging him.
I'd done a fair bit of prep for the workshops, because if I've learnt anything, it's that it's much better to keep things shifting along at a steady pace - no waiting for paint/glue to dry unless there's something else going on at the same time. Keep boredom at bay at all costs! The workshops never go the way I think they're going to go in my head, but that's okay... for a start, even though MYOZ is really aimed at primary school age kids, at a busy event like Hay, you can't really go about saying no to younger kids who want to join in. So, I try to pick projects that can be adapted for little ones.
The weather was cool enough when we started, but by lunchtime the tent was heating up and I was feeling it. Wished I'd worn something a little more summery. On the plus side, no problem getting paint and glue to dry! I did 4 sessions altogether, and although it's tiring being on your feet all that time, it's invigorating too, seeing what the children make, all so different, adding their own little touches. Love it when they start doing their own thing. That's what it's about really, getting their imagination going, getting creative.
The other encouraging thing for me was talking to people about the book - I haven't done that for a while and it's good to feel a bit more connected again. I am not the best at self-promotion, but this time I did try not to mumble or twiddle my thumbs, and I did get some lovely feedback and a few good ideas about promoting the book that I really should follow up. The problem is, I come home and lose a bit of that drive. Still, I have another workshop next weekend, so maybe it'll help give me a sharp shove in the right direction...
