SOUTH Craven resounded to the beat of African rhythms thanks to inspirational Nigerian storyteller Sola Story.

Children in both Cowling and Cononley primary schools were entranced by the Nigerian wordsmith and drummer and joined in enthusiastically with the oral storytelling and actions.

Organised through the Settle Stories project as part of Black History month, the workshops celebrated the tradition of oral storytelling where audiences are active participants not passive listeners.

Behind each of the stories was a powerful message about perseverance, determination and the unique qualities of each child. Sola encouraged the children to never give up, to believe in themselves and discover their own potential. His stories focused on encouraging the pupils to find their own unique gift which everyone had and how best they could use their gifts to help others.

He said: “I challenge you all to dare to believe in yourselves and to understand you are special and unique. Keep trying and see what you can achieve.”

The children loved to hear the story of the eagle who behaved as if he was a chicken, looking down on the ground and fussing around, when he had the potential to soar high and see the whole world. The stories were brought to life through drama as Sola acted out parts of the stories and the children enthusiastically joined in.

Headteachers Sue Marshall and Catherine Pickles said the workshops had enabled the children to really understand the power of words, the art of storytelling and enthused the pupils in both school to write their own stories and develop their use of language.