Children in six Harrogate and Knaresborough schools are getting the opportunity to hone their storytelling skills thanks to a series of workshops led by crime fiction writer Rachael Blok.
Pupils taking part in the Wild Foundations CSI Workshops will learn how to develop characters, explore their imagination and write exciting stories, as well as hear from Rachael, one of a select group of writers to have attended The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival Author Dinner, about the life of a novelist.
These immersive creative writing sessions, run by Harrogate International Festivals and supported by the Wild Foundations – established in memory of Victor Wild of Bettys and Taylors of Harrogate – are aimed at children aged nine to twelve and fit in with school curriculums.
Rachael’s workshops, which run this week, involve Aspin Park Academy, Grove Road Community Primary, Hookstone Chase Primary, Meadowside Primary Academy, New Park Primary Academy and Saltergate Primary School.
Education and community programmes like this are a key component of Harrogate International Festivals’ work, which aims to raise aspirations and create new opportunities for all through free access to the arts.
With arts funding in schools continuing to decline, the Festivals believes it is more important than ever that children from every background still get the chance to experience the arts and the simple joy of being creative.
Jonathan Wild said:
"Wild Foundations is our way of honouring our father's legacy - not just as a polymath, but as someone who believed deeply in the power of curiosity and creativity.
“Through these workshops, we hope to spark that same spirit in young people across Harrogate, giving them the tools to explore, imagine, and grow."
Lizzie Barnes said:
"Our father, Victor, had an extraordinary ability to connect ideas across disciplines - from the arts to the sciences.
“With Wild Foundations, we’re building a space where young minds can do just that: develop skills, think creatively, and discover new passions. Which is why we’re thrilled to continue these excellent workshops that we started last year.”
Sharon Canavar, Chief Executive of Harrogate International Festivals, said:
“Collaborative education and community programmes are at the very heart of the Festivals’ ethos.
“We are passionate about encouraging children to engage with stories and books, and there’s no better way of doing it than through exciting, interactive sessions like this where they’re learning and having fun at the same time.
“This feels particularly timely given that 2026 is the National Year of Reading and, once again, we are indebted to Jonathan Wild and Lizzie Barnes who through their generous support of the Wild Foundations programme enable us to run these workshops.”
For more information visit the Harrogate International Festivals website at harrogateinternationalfestivals.com
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