Story Power: National Family Learning Conference
Thursday 3 July 2025 | 10am - 4pm | In person - London
The Mercers’ Company | Mercers’ Hall | Ironmonger Lane | London | EC2V 8HE
Download the full programme of speakers and workshop leaders
Discover how the power and magic of storytelling, sharing stories and reading can transform and enrich learning within families
Stories make us human. We need stories to make sense of our experiences, to grow our understanding of others and their experiences, to learn, problem-solve and imagine new ways of doing things. Stories, storytelling and reading are a yellow brick road to personal and collective growth and learning.
In this full-day, in-person conference, we will look at the how storytelling, sharing stories and reading can inform and enrich family learning practice, activities and programmes by exploring themes such as:
- boosting well-being and relationships by reading together for pleasure
- optimising learning and engagement by reading together
- learning maths, science or other subjects through storytelling
- diffusing difficult situations or talking about challenging topics through storytelling
- dialogic learning and co-creating stories
- using props and multisensory resources in story building
- identity and culture formation
- what do stories do: storytelling and cognition
We will also welcome storytellers and poets to help delegates experience the magic of storytelling and story co-creation first-hand.
The conference includes refreshments, lunch and networking opportunities.
Download the full programme of presentations and workshops
Our speakers and workshop leaders are:
Keynote: Cally Poplak, MD, HarperCollins Children's Books and Farshore on 'The power of reading and being read to'
Speakers:
Katie Bareham, Doorstep Library
Nicola Wallis, Fitzwilliam Museum
Olivia Richards, The Story Project
Lucy Webber, The Story Museum and Liz Fraser-Betts, The Story Exchange
Nicola Pomery and Mariam de Haan, British Library
Arwenna Davis and Camilla Reid, BookTrust
Gem Smith, Take A Part CIO
Workshops from:
Jeszemma Howl, Fatherhood Institute
Dr Sabine Little, University of Sheffield
Usifu Jalloh, Connection with Wonder
Vanessa Woolf, Connection with Wonder
Emma Leeson, SAPERE
Dr Alastair Daniel, The Story Tent, University of Roehampton
Anna Harriott, Stories in the Dust and Ian Williams, Southampton University
Download the full programme of presentations and workshops
Who should attend?
This conference is ideal for family learning professionals and colleagues working with families to support learning including those who work in:
- Adult and community education
- Arts organisations
- Charities
- Early years
- Universities
- Further education
- Health settings
- Heritage venues
- Libraries
- Local authorities
- Museums and galleries
- Schools
Cost
The ticket prices includes all refreshments and lunch.
Discount ticket: £162.00 excluding VAT: Available for local authorities, not-for-profit organisations, sole-traders, independent consultants and freelancers. Please email us for your discount code!
Standard ticket: £180.00 excluding VAT
An additional 10% discount on all tickets for National Centre for Family Learning members (Become a member for free!) Just log in before booking to get your discount applied automatically.
Campaign for Learning thanks The Mercer’s Company for their generosity in support of this family learning conference.
Location
Visit the Mercer's Hall website for directions to the venue.
How to book
Book your place by registering or signing in below.