Stoller Story Sounds – Musical story journeys

Suitable for ages 3-5

Aimed to inspire creativity, these interactive workshops are designed to tickle preschoolers’ imagination through storytelling, drawing, dancing and of course music!

The Stoller Story Sounds workshops are connected to The Stoller Hall Sounds of Nature events. These sessions are designed to give children the freedom to be creative and learn about a piece of music or instrument through connecting it with other arts. This will, in turn, support their experience when attending follow-up live music performances.

The sessions can be enjoyed stand-alone, but we do hope to spark your curiosity and to take your musical story journey further – we hope that together you can explore all the stories and colours of sounds you hear on stage!

Upcoming events

Past Events

The Chocolate Wolf at Christmas – Sunday 18 December – 1pm, 2pm & 3pm
Little Green Dragon – Sunday 04 December – 1pm, 2pm & 3pm
Dandylion and the Sad Stem – Saturday 22 October 2022 – 10.30am & 11.30am
Snowbear’s Story – Sunday 25 September 2022 – 1pm, 2pm & 3pm
The Little Green Dragon – Sunday 22 May 2022, 1pm & 2pm
Snowbear’s Story – Saturday 7 May 2022, 10.30am & 11.30am
Dandylion and the Sad Stem – Sunday 24 April 2022, 11am & 12pm

About the artists

Carla Henry is a highly acclaimed actor, working across Film, TV, Theatre and Radio. Born in Hulme, Manchester, and raised in Moss Side, Carla is a trustee of the Working Class Movement Library and the Moss Side Powerhouse. She is author of children’s book The Hedgehog and Her Hoglet, Commissioned by The Lowry, and co-writer of theThe Discarded Oil Drum by Henry and Steel, showcased as part of H.O.M.E’s Black History Month.

Lizzie Finlay is a Children’s author-illustrator, based in Manchester. Lizzie’s illustrations appeal to several age-groups – from pre-school and picture books through to young fiction, as in the Compton Valance series (by Matt Brown) and best-selling Pony Mad Princess (Diana Kimpton) Series for Usborne Publishing. Lizzie’s first book, Dandylion, won the Dundee Picture book Award and was shortlisted for the NASEN Children’s Book Award. Her latest picture book: The Ferocious Chocolate Wolf, was published recently by Five Quills.

Alice Billen is a Manchester-based freelance violist, who collaborates on varying chamber, education and orchestral projects in the North West and beyond – among them the Hallé and The Whitworth Ensemble, a group she co-founded. She particularly enjoys opera and performs regularly with Longborough Festival Opera. She plays a modern Welsh viola, named ‘Ailsa’ by the maker.

Sarah Atter is a workshop leader, flautist and teacher working across a wide variety of genres with a particular focus on live group music-making, communication and having fun with music! Sarah has extensive experience of devising and delivering education and community projects, alongside student and teacher training, large-scale residencies and consultancy work. She works across a variety of fields including music in healthcare, music in the community, music in education, music in criminal justice and collaborative cross-art form projects.

Espíritu Flamenco, is a group based in Manchester offering flamenco performances, events, classes and community events. Sarah Chambers leads this group, working with local and visiting artists. There is an emphasis on traditional flamenco and authenticity, as well as participation and enjoyment of this great art form.

Trio Bohémo was founded in 2019. The members of the ensemble are Jan Vojtek, piano, Matouš Pěruška, violin and Kristina Vocetková, cello. Despite all members being from the Czech Republic, they only met in Budapest, Hungary and shortly after that decided to form piano trio together. Winner of the 2021 Parkhouse Award, Trio Bohémo, from the Czech Republic, built on their success by winning the IX International Stasys Vainiūnas Competition for Chamber Ensembles in Lithuania in April this year. The Parkhouse Award is a prize for outstanding young ensembles of piano with strings and has recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. The winning ensemble is given three concerts in prestigious venues including The Stoller Hall, to help launch their career in the UK.

Kantos Chamber Choir was founded in 2015 by Ellie Slorach. The choir comprises the top choral singers across the North who have begun or are about to begin their professional careers. Kantos has rapidly risen to the forefront of choral singing in Manchester and the North West.They shake up the long-standing tradition of choral music by presenting well-known works in new and innovative ways and by championing new choral music. Kantos are committed to ensuring choral music is accessible to a wider, more diverse audience. They aim to shake up the tradition of choral music and perform at a professional level in the North, where there are currently no full-time professional chamber choirs.