Slung Low Theatre Company in Leeds will give every child in Holbeck a book after visit to local primary school reveals some don't own even one

A Leeds theatre company has vowed to make sure that every child in Holbeck has their own book after a visit to a local primary school revealed that some children don't have any at home.
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Slung Low Theatre Company spent a week at Ingram Road Primary earlier this month reading Emergency Story Penguin to the children and gave all 340 of them a copy of the book.

However, the company was taken aback to discover that for some of these children, that was the first book they have had.

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Ruth Middleton is the community producer at Slung Low and one of the readers.

Ruth Saxton and Ruth Middleton from Slung Low Theatre Company with copies of Emergency Story Penguin.Ruth Saxton and Ruth Middleton from Slung Low Theatre Company with copies of Emergency Story Penguin.
Ruth Saxton and Ruth Middleton from Slung Low Theatre Company with copies of Emergency Story Penguin.

She explained: “It was an absolute joy to take the book to the pupils at our local school, we all loved it. We do a lot of work with the school and when we discovered there were pupils who started at the school without books, we set about changing that. Now every one of those kids has at least one book.”

Now they want to make sure every child in Holbeck has at least one book and are selling copies of Emergency Story Penguin - which follows Lady Grace Thompson and her crew on an adventure around the secret underground tunnels that connect every theatre where stories are stored and told - at the cost of two books for £12.

They can keep a copy and the other one is donated to a child. All monies made will go back into printing more copies of the book so more can be donated. If they got enough buyers, the theatre boss would like to see every child in Leeds get a copy of Emergency Story Penguin.

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Artistic director Alan Lane believes that theatre companies should redefine what they do and how they operate.

Ruth Saxton reading the book to pupils at Ingram Road Primary School at Holbeck.Ruth Saxton reading the book to pupils at Ingram Road Primary School at Holbeck.
Ruth Saxton reading the book to pupils at Ingram Road Primary School at Holbeck.
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“We’re particularly pleased to be sharing this book with kids at this time, because encouraging people to understand that theatres and the arts are vital is needed now more than ever before

“Slung Low believe that access to culture is a fundamental part of a happy life. We believe that actions, however small, can have a big impact and we believe that culture can change our world for the better.”

The company is renowned for both its theatre and the work it does with its local community in south Leeds. It operates a food bank, a cultural community college, and manages the country’s oldest working men’s club.

Alan Lane, artistic director at Slung Low Theatre Company.Alan Lane, artistic director at Slung Low Theatre Company.
Alan Lane, artistic director at Slung Low Theatre Company.

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