The Lost Lending Library is a literacy project for the whole school, delivered by Punchdrunk in collaboration with the primary schools it visits.
At 314 floors high and with 72 spiral side departments, The Lost Lending Library is the largest collection of books in the world. The Library leaps from place to place, arriving where it knows it can find the most precious books of all time: new stories written by young apprentices….
A freelance librarian arrives at a primary school to ask children what their favourite books are and imagine what their dream libraries might look like. A shared love of stories, an intriguing book about a magical library and the discovery of a strange locked book leads to the mysterious arrival of The Lost Lending Library.
Project aims
The Lost Lending Library aims to:
- Create an experience of awe and wonder for children, teachers and the school community through an unforgettable narrative that unfolds over the course of three weeks
- Encourage a love of books, reading and libraries
- Develop literacy skills
- Inspire oracy
- Develop teacher creativity in the classroom through sharing Punchdrunk’s immersive learning techniques with teaching staff
Who is it for?
This project is for a whole primary school. Pupils and teachers from Nursery classes to Year 6 all experience The Lost Lending Library, with opportunities for parents and carers to visit too. Teachers receive an INSET session at the end of the project to reflect on immersive learning techniques and develop their own approaches and exercises to use in the future.
In response to COVID-19 and government advice, Punchdrunk has taken the decision to pause its schools programme. From Monday 6th April, Punchdrunk will be operating with a limited pool of staff for a temporary time period.
For any urgent enquiries regarding the project, contact
[email protected] or to be the first to know when usual operations return, sign up to our mailing list.
RESEARCH
Emma Miles, PhD candidate at Royal Holloway, University of London, produced a case-study report of the project between January and August 2015, funded by Creativeworks London’s Researcher-in-Residence scheme. You can read the executive summary here; the full report can be found on our resources page.
The Lost Lending Library is generously supported by
Sir William Boreman’s Foundation • Unwin Charitable Trust
Past delivery of The Lost Lending Library was supported by
Aldgate and Allhallows Foundation • Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation • Clifford Chance Foundation • Ellis Campbell Charitable Foundation • Ernest Cook Trust • The Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation • Mercers’ Company Charitable Foundation • The Rayne Foundation • SHINE • The Sobell Foundation • THAMES • Unity Theatre Trust
Now everybody reads more. My sister reads more, I read more and even my parents read more. My mum saw The Lost Lending Library and now she reads to my baby brother at dinner.
Creative Team
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Creators
Peter Higgin, Frances Moulds & Matthew Odell -
Designers
Livi Vaughan, Kate Rigby & James Boult -
Sound & Graphic Designer
Stephen Dobbie
Gallery
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Punchdrunk’s The Lost Lending Library. Photo by Paul Cochrane -
Punchdrunk’s The Lost Lending Library. Photo by Paul Cochrane -
Punchdrunk’s The Lost Lending Library. Photo by Paul Cochrane -
Punchdrunk’s The Lost Lending Library. Photo by Paul Cochrane -
Punchdrunk’s The Lost Lending Library. Photo by Paul Cochrane
Feedback
This project has been transformative! The children have been buzzing in a world of magic and fascination for the past three weeks. Our school will not be the same without it. Stunning and inspiring!
I can’t remember seeing anything quite like it and I can understand why the children – and the teachers! – are mesmerized by it. We don’t always see the arts, creativity and schools working together well but this was a good example of how it can be done effectively.
The whole project is such a great hook for the children’s learning and is going to have a bigger impact on the children’s learning than we could have had without it!
