The Elves and the Shoemaker was created as part of the Manchester Children's Book Festival (with Manchester Metropolitan University) and funded by Arts Council England. It was performed in mainstream and SEND schools for over 4000 children in multiple versions;  for pre-school children, EYFS, KS1, year 3 and children with profound & multiple learning difficulties, autistim, and other special educational needs and disabilities.  

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Such a creative group! Combining music, slapstick, film and shadow puppetry and taking a simple story and giving it a lovely twist. They children loved discussing the shadow puppetry, with some thinking it was magic, while another explained how it was done! Fabulous, engaging and magical for the children! 

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Thank you so much for today! It was absolutely brilliant. Giraffes really enjoyed the drumming rhythm and the use of massage therapy within the story. They loved the accordion and the sensory props such as the bells.

Hippos and Lions really enjoyed the humour and found it very funny to laugh along to the jokes. The message was really nice. It was a fantastic day of differentiated performances that really ignited imagination and all children and staff thoroughly enjoyed it. 

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What a fantastic performance you put on for us today. We can't believe it was just three of you and what talent you all had. Considering we have a lot of EAL children and those with SEND needs, the show captured everyone and kept all entertained throughout. The harp music was especially enthralling to the children and quite mesmerising too. The work pack sent was useful and we have seen some amazing shoe designs off the back of it too.... move over Manolo Blahnik!!!! 

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The elf performers were brilliant! One of the best things we have seen in school in a long time! Children came into class the next morning talking about the show. It was really pitched well, completely at the level of the children it was aimed for. When a child got back to class after the performance they told their teacher,

“That was amazing!”

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 I really noticed how some children were joining in and wanting to contribute, who are reticent to do so in class. It was great as it triggered so much excitement and stimulation. We had such discussions afterwards the children were happy to write about it and recount the story. They kept referring to the characters and story during the afternoon and next day.

 

Teachers whose classes took part in the performance