Creating Childhood News from the School of Art, Architecture and Design

Public panel event as part of Making a Living Week explores what – and how – we create for children.

Date: 27 November 2018

Creating Childhood at The Cass on 27 November is a panel event exploring how creative projects are conceived, developed and presented to children.

The expert panel, chaired by London Met lecturer and publishing consultant Dr Louise Tucker, features Kate Manning, Children’s Director of the Stoke Newington Literary Festival; Tory Sandars, Artistic Director of Skewbald Theatre – a children's theatre company; Aimée Felone, the co-founder of Knights Of – a commercial children’s publisher; children's author Marianne Levy and Kevin Haley, who is the co-founder and director of Aberrant Architecture.

Each member of the group will present their work briefly before leading a discussion about how and why to start creative projects for children, what the funding and creative obstacles and opportunities are, and the difference that creative projects like these can make.

The discussions will explore questions such as: How do we create books, images, spaces and immersive experiences for children? How do the creative arts foster childhood imagination? What are the industry trends now and opportunities in the next few years? What do you need to know about the creative arts and industries for children as far as developing your own portfolio or practice is concerned?

Creating Childhood is a public event as part of Making a Living Week. Guests from industry are invited to meet students from all of the disciplines in the Sir John Cass School of Art, Architecture and Design. The Creating Childhood audience will include students on programmes in Creative Writing, English Literature, Design for Publishing, Illustration, Theatre and Performance Practice and Architecture, and is a way of putting them in touch with professionals in the creative arts and showing them what life after the degree could be like. The wider audience is invited to join the conversations, debate and networking opportunity.

The Creating Childhood event is free to attend and open to the public but please register your place.

Panel biographies

Chair – Dr Louise Tucker, London Met lecturer

Dr Louise Tucker is a publishing consultant, entrepreneur, lecturer and writer with 17 years' editorial experience in blue-chip trade publishing and websites. She has written, and edited, everything from blogs to books. Louise teaches on the Creative Writing and English Literature module, Publishing and the Book.

Kate Manning – Children’s Director, Stoke Newington Literary Festival 

Kate Manning has worked in the book trade for 20 years for publishers such as Random House, HarperCollins, Simon and Schuster – the latter two in the role of sales director. She directs the children’s element of the Stoke Newington Literary Festival.

Tory Sandars – Artistic Director, Skewbald Theatre, and London Met Lecturer

Skewbald makes vibrant and playful theatre that seeks to inspire, engage and challenge the imaginations of its young audience. 

Aimée Felone – Co-founder of Knights Of

Aimée Felone is co-founder of newly launched Knights Of – a commercial children’s publisher whose main focus is hiring diversely and commissioning writers and illustrators from a diverse range of backgrounds.

Marianne Levy – Children’s author

Marianne Levy is the author of five books for children. She has written for the BBC, The Independent, The Guardian and The Financial Times and is a regular contributor to The i.

Kevin Haley – Co-founder and director, Aberrant Architecture

Kevin Haley is a director and co-founder of aberrant architecture, a multi-disciplinary design studio and think tank that works with public space, buildings and interiors, public art, furniture, books, graphics, events, installations and exhibitions, and regularly collaborates with local community groups and other design professionals.