Workshops

For many years I have created and led a wide variety of freelance workshops for schools, youth clubs, Deaf clubs and arts events across the UK. My workshops are hands-on, visual and accessible, designed to inspire creativity through storytelling, movement and making.

Popular Workshop Topics Include:

  • Stop-motion animation

  • How to create storyboards

  • Children’s book illustration

  • Shadow puppetry

  • A variety of drawing and traditional animation techniques

  • Drama and creative performance workshops

Clay Model for Animation
Stop Motion Animation and clay character

2025 Workshops with Surface Area Dance Theatre

In 2025, Surface Area Dance Theatre received LNER funding to deliver a series of creative workshops. I led a variety of sessions including traditional animation, stop-motion animation, children’s book creation and drama.
These workshops took place at:

  • Newcastle Deaf Centre

  • Sunderland Deaf Centre

  • Thorney Close Primary School

  • Sandhills View Academy

453592961_1034156275377080_6920017460694520239_n

Gothrella Workshops

With Audience Development Funding from Arts Council England, Rory’s Studio developed Gothrella — a project combining dance, drama and animation.
I led the drama workshops, while professional dancer Rachel Jean Birch led the dance elements. The programme also included five animation workshops for both Deaf and hearing participants.

Workshops were delivered at:

  • Dance City, Newcastle upon Tyne

  • BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead

Early Gothrella Workshops

  • 6 July 2016 – Camden People’s Theatre, London
    Gothrella drama workshop with Deaf adults from the Royal Association for Deaf People.

  • 8–9 July 2016 – BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art
    Animation workshops for Deaf and hearing children and families, inspired by my animation film Oka. Participants created imaginative space-themed characters using traditional animation techniques.

436306235_18313907875180592_3105182525460470229_n
drama 2

Workshops with Seven Stories

Seven Stories, the National Centre for Children’s Books, invited me to run a two-day animation workshop. Children learned how to create animations using:

  • Thaumatropes

  • Flipbooks

  • Clay stop-motion animation

clay 7s

Collaborations and School Projects

I have led numerous workshops at Newcastle College, as well as collaborating on projects with Nicole Vivien Watson from Surface Area Dance Theatre. Together, we continue to deliver workshops in schools and colleges.

Heathlands School Workshop (2016)

I partnered with international Deaf filmmaker Louis Neethling to deliver a successful stop-motion animation workshop at Heathlands School, St Albans.

Paralympics “Driving Inspiration” Project (2012)

In 2012 I delivered animation workshops for the Paralympics’ Driving Inspiration project. Working with two schools, I helped children create a short film which was combined with work from other schools across the UK and screened at the Paralympics Opening Ceremony.