Game Designer Nikki Valens’ 2017 table-top roleplaying game, Legacy of Dragonholt, has been an important inspiration for Storyhaven. Nikki has given generously of her time to talk to the project about the potential of blending such table-top roleplaying games with live-theatre elements to bring children’s game playing to life.

The research element of Storyhaven is based in the Department of Theatre at the University of Bristol, the School of English at Cardiff University and the School of Creative Industries at the University of Bath Spa, where it is supervised by the adaptation and theatre for young audiences specialist, Dr Katja Krebs, children’s literature scholar and young-adult author, Dr Catherine Butler, and new digital media writer and scholar Professor Kate Pullinger.

Playwright and academic Judith Bryan provided important input into the project’s conception through her Senior Lecturer role at the National Centre for Research into Children’s literature at the University of Roehampton.

Storyhaven’s development has been supported by Bristol & Bath Creative Research & Development, the South West and Wales Doctoral Training Partnership, the Temple Quarter Engagement Fund at the University of Bristol, the Harbutt Fund at Bath Spa University, and the Bristol Doctoral College.