School Holiday Workshops
22 - 24 January, 2025
MAITLAND STUDIO
School Holiday Workshops
22 - 24 January, 2025
MAITLAND STUDIO
- DRAGON RIDER
- JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH
- LOST IN THE LAND OF FAERIE
Wednesday 22 January
10am - 12.30pm
Dragon Rider
What does it take to become a dragon rider? Courage? Agility? Strength? Or is it just a matter of meeting the right dragon? Your main character is going to find out in this magical workshop with author Karen Hughes. Get ready to plot and plan your own exciting dragon adventure!
For creative kids aged 9-14 who love to write stories.
Thursday 23 January
10am - 12.30pm
Journey to the Centre of the Earth
Your main character has discovered a secret tunnel that leads somewhere beyond their wildest imaginings. Deeper and deeper they go, until they emerge in another world. What kind of fantastical place is it? What adventures will they have there? And how will they ever find their way home?
- Dragon Rider
- Journey to the Centre of the Earth
- Lost in the Land of Faerie
Wednesday 22 January
10am - 12.30pm
Dragon Rider
What does it take to become a dragon rider? Courage? Agility? Strength? Or is it just a matter of meeting the right dragon? Your main character is going to find out in this magical workshop with author Karen Hughes. Get ready to plot and plan your own exciting dragon adventure!
For creative kids aged 9-14 who love to write stories.
Thursday 23 January
10am - 12.30pm
Journey to the Centre of the Earth
Your main character has discovered a secret tunnel that leads somewhere beyond their wildest imaginings. Deeper and deeper they go, until they emerge in another world. What kind of fantastical place is it? What adventures will they have there? And how will they ever find their way home?
THURSDAY 6 Oct
Maitland Studio
Ready, Player One
What if the world you see around you is actually one big computer game? In this exciting new workshop, we’ll create a quirky main character and send them on a wild adventure in cyberspace. It’s a dangerous place. Who knows what might happen!
Friday 24 January
10am - 12.30pm
Lost in the Land of Faerie
Long ago, your main character found a hidden portal to the Land of Faerie. Dazzled by the moonlight, they made the terrible mistake of drinking the sweet honey wine that the fae offered. They also joined in the dancing, which everyone knows you should never do. Now they are trapped and one hundred years has passed. How will they escape? What will the world be like when they finally get home?
For creative kids aged 9-14 who love to write stories.
Friday 24 January
10am - 12.30pm
Lost in the Land of Faerie
Long ago, your main character found a hidden portal to the Land of Faerie. Dazzled by the moonlight, they made the terrible mistake of drinking the sweet honey wine that the fae offered. They also joined in the dancing, which everyone knows you should never do. Now they are trapped and one hundred years has passed. How will they escape? What will the world be like when they finally get home?
For creative kids aged 9-14 who love to write stories.
Friday 21 April
10am - 1pm
Join us from anywhere on Zoom
Shipwrecked!
We'll create a quirky main character and shipwreck them on a desert island, just like Robinson Crusoe. How will they survive? What kind of shelter will they build? What will they eat and drink? Are there any dangerous creatures hiding on the island? Join us on Zoom to find out.
THURSDAY
6 October in Maitland NSW
Ready, Player One
What if the world you see around you is actually one big computer game? In this exciting new workshop, we’ll create a quirky main character and send them on a wild adventure in cyberspace. It’s a dangerous place. Who knows what might happen!
Friday 21 April on Zoom
10am - 1pm
Shipwrecked!
We'll create a quirky main character and shipwreck them on a desert island, just like Robinson Crusoe. How will they survive? What kind of shelter will they build? What will they eat and drink? Are there any dangerous creatures hiding on the island? Join us on Zoom to find out.
THURSDAY 6 Oct
Maitland Studio
Ready, Player One
What if the world you see around you is actually one big computer game? In this exciting new workshop, we’ll create a quirky main character and send them on a wild adventure in cyberspace. It’s a dangerous place. Who knows what might happen!
Wednesday 19 April in our Maitland Studio
10am - 1pm
Witches, Cats and Broomsticks
You meet a witch in the deep dark forest. What spells will she teach you? What secret ingredients must you find to throw into her cauldron? How will her spells change you?
THURSDAY 6 Oct
Maitland Studio
Ready, Player One
What if the world you see around you is actually one big computer game? In this exciting new workshop, we’ll create a quirky main character and send them on a wild adventure in cyberspace. It’s a dangerous place. Who knows what might happen!
WEDNESDAY
5 October on Zoom
Lock and Key
Shhh ... there is a mysterious door with a hidden key that only you can find. The door is in a secret passageway in an old abandoned house. Will you open the door? What will you discover on the other side?
Create a quirky main character and send them on an adventure that is out of this world. The only limit is your imagination.
WEDNESDAY 5 Oct
Zoom Workshop
Lock and Key
Shhh ... there is a mysterious door with a hidden key that only you can find. The door is in a secret passage in an old abandoned house. Will you open the door? What will you discover on the other side?
Create a quirky main character and send them on an adventure that is out of this world. The only limit is your imagination.
Sharing the magic of words
Our workshop facilitator, Dr Karen Hughes, has been the director of Hunter Valley Writers since 2019 and has worked with hundreds of kids during that time. She is the author of the Kalika Magic series, exploring themes of courage, adventure, and the power of the imagination. Karen grew up on a cattle station on the Liverpool Plains, where she spent her childhood climbing trees, riding horses, and reading Narnia books. She attended a primary school with only six pupils, before being packed off to boarding school at age 12. Karen was a lawyer in Canberra for almost 10 years, but has now thankfully recovered. She is currently writing her fifth Kalika Magic book and working on a speculative novel for adults.
PhD English/BA(Asian Studies)/Bachelor of Laws/Grad.Dip Legal Practice/Adv.Dip Classical Herbal Medicine/Children's Book Council of Australia/Australian Society of Authors/International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts/Speculative Literature Foundation USA