Curiosity Chest

EEA were selected to work on A New Direction In-Schools Touring project  with The Curiosity Chest this February and March 2026: A creative learning experience of curiosity, storytelling and discovery building confident voices through oracy.

Designed to ignite children’s oracy, creativity and writing, The Curiosity Chest is an immersive, hands-on storytelling experience. Through live performance, interactive exploration and guided narrative discovery, students are invited to unlock the chest’s secrets and create stories of their own. 

The chest’s appearance has triggered a hidden signal, one detectable only by The Collectors and Chest Guardians. Drawn to the site, they arrive unannounced but not unexpected. Their mission: to continue Frances Ann’s legacy of noticing, collecting and sharing the world’s most extraordinary wonders. The Curiosity Chest is not just a treasure chest; it is a portal to imagination, waiting to be unlocked. They now invite your students to become part of the story and to see what others overlook, to celebrate the strange and beautiful, and to become the next generation of Collectors.  

Following the performance, the adventure continues in the classroom. Led by the Collectors, the workshop invites students to become explorers, historians and storytellers, guiding a new generation in the art of noticing, collecting and wondering. Trained in interpreting oddities and sparking imagination, the Collectors support students in uncovering the chest’s secrets through drama, discussion and creative writing. Children investigate artefacts, ask bold question, and create their own responses, poems, news reports and imaginative tales. This workshop ignites curiosity, celebrates the unusual and empowers students to see the world differently and contribute to Frances Ann’s growing legacy as Collectors. There are also adaptations to suit SEND groups.