Story Seeds: From Ireland to Italy (and Back Again!)
A Celebration of Young Voices and Shared Stories across borders.
This Erasmus+ funded project brought together over 500 children from 24 classrooms - 12 in Ireland and 12 in Italy - to co-write six incredible stories. Each one began in one school, was passed across the border to another, blending languages, localities, and imaginations.
What Is Story Seeds?
At its heart, Story Seeds is about inclusion, connection, and the power of young voices. Developed as part of the CESDA (Creative Education in Disadvantaged Areas) initiative, the project used storytelling to break down barriers and build bridges between communities in Ireland and Italy.
Inspired by our Story Seeds writing model at Fighting Words and the No One Excluded method developed by Francesca Frediani at La Grande Fabbrica Della Parole, this project empowered children in underserved schools to become co-authors of shared narratives rooted in their own communities.
Over the course of ten months, students explored their neighbourhoods, exchanged ideas with their peers abroad, and created adventurous, funny, and heartfelt stories - featuring everything from purple monsters to hot air balloon escapes!
The Final Collection
The result is a beautifully illustrated storybook, Story Seeds: From Ireland to Italy (and Back Again!), which showcases six collaborative stories filled with imagination and local flavour.
You can read the full storybook online here – and we encourage you to share it with young readers, educators, and anyone who believes in the power of storytelling.
Podcast and Audio Adventures
And the stories don’t end on the page. We’re also launching a podcast series, where children narrate their own tales in both English and Italian. These audiobook-style episodes bring the stories to life and offer a multilingual celebration of collaboration and creativity.
A Resource for Educators: The Good Practice Guide
In addition to the storybook and podcast, we’re excited to share the Story Seeds Good Practice Guide – a downloadable resource for teachers and creative facilitators across Europe. Based on insights and methods used throughout the project, the guide is designed to support inclusive creative writing workshops, particularly in school settings in underserved communities.
Download the Good Practice Guide here
It includes practical activities, workshop templates, and reflections from educators involved in the project - perfect for those looking to bring creative literacy and equity into their classrooms. There was also an accompanying webinar, which can be watched back below.
The password to the webinar is: ^.X3v*g1
Thank You!
This project would not have been possible without the incredible work and dedication of:
- The teachers in all 16 participating schools
- The students whose imagination and enthusiasm brought each story to life
- Our collaborators at La Grande Fabbrica Della Parole
- The support of Erasmus+ and Léargas Ireland
Together, you reminded us that stories have no borders - and that young voices have the power to connect communities, cultures, and hearts.
So dive in, read, listen, and be inspired by these vibrant young storytellers.
From Ireland to Italy... and back again.
