In an exciting culmination of the 2024 Young Writers’ Collective, Year 5 and 6 students at our School had the privilege of participating in an engaging workshop led by Aśka, an award-winning graphic novelist and visual storyteller. Known for her energetic and dynamic approach, Aśka brought a fresh perspective to storytelling, particularly focusing on visual literacy, which captivated the students.

The workshop was designed to nurture creativity, allowing students to explore different aspects of storytelling while building confidence in their own abilities. Aśka’s primary goal was to unlock the students’ digital storytelling potential by breaking down barriers surrounding visual literacy. “I think most students already have it, but a lot of them would have hangups about their drawing abilities,” she said. “I try to break through that and empower them with the skills they already have.”

Aśka’s science background gives her a unique approach to storytelling. She shared her passion for combining creativity with analytical thinking, saying, “Visual storytelling has always been part of my life, and I think a lot about why and how things work. I want to see it more implemented in the curriculum because it opens up doors to the brain that may be useful in the future.”

For the students, the experience was both fun and inspiring. Hal, a Year 5 student, enjoyed the freedom to create their own stories through comics. “Drawing all of the mini comics with the jelly beans and getting to choose what we do in them was my favourite part. Some of my stories can be fairly silly,” Hal said, reflecting on the joy of creating without limits. Annabel, another student, added, “I liked using sticky notes to turn into a comic. It was really fun to make jelly bean people do silly things.”

Both students were excited to apply what they had learned to future creative projects. “I’ve learned that when you make characters go out of the comic box or panel, it has a really cool effect,” said Hal, while Annabel discovered how to make her characters more expressive by altering their body movements. Their enthusiasm was clear, with both students eager to continue their storytelling journey beyond the classroom.

As the Young Writers’ Collective wraps up for the year, Aśka’s workshop provided a memorable and empowering finale. Her passion for visual literacy and creative storytelling left a lasting impact on our young writers, sparking new ideas and confidence in their storytelling abilities.