Ideas Fund: Granny Fenella

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We want to interrupt the boredom of isolation and find the magic inside an ordinary home. Finding new ways of connecting with people we can’t be with, through creativity and art, is a fascinating topic to explore. Granny Fenella’s world will use paper as its main material, so that as many people as possible can create their own magical stories in response to ours.

—Zoe Bullock, Christine Urquhart and Samuel Pashby

Artists Christine Urquhart and Zoe Bullock will tell you the story of Granny Fenella over a series of three animated films the first of which - Granny Fenella Part 1 - you can find below or by clicking here.  They will give you suggested activities you can do at home which you can send to us at info@imaginate.org.uk or using the hashtags #GrannyFenella and #ImaginateIdeas.

Our Story

Granny Fenella is stuck at home. She has been stuck at home for a very long time. Nobody comes to visit, and nothing comes through her letterbox except boring old leaflets and bills. Granny Fenella HATES leaflets and bills. She lets them pile up on her doormat until you could jump on top of them and not hurt yourself at all.

Then, one day, everything changes. A parcel slips through Granny Fenella’s letterbox. It is a lumpy parcel, with big round edges and a squishy middle. Inside it is a pair of slippers.

Except these are not just slippers; these are magical slippers. When she puts them on, Granny Fenella’s world changes, and her flat becomes a magical playground where anything is possible. When more items start to come through her door, sent by relatives and friends, Granny Fenella starts to look forward to the post after all! Each new letter or gift takes her into a new adventure, and she discovers her little home is far bigger than she thought.

What we're doing

Granny Fenella’s story will be told through a series of three stop-motion animation videos, created by designer Christine Urquhart and writer Zoe Bullock, with sound and voice work from actor Samuel Pashby. We want to encourage creativity and connection through the imagination and letters, especially between children and isolated relatives. 

Each video will come with activities, including creating your own stop-motion animation video, or making something with your hands at home. We will provide a print-out version of Christine’s diorama from the videos and instructions to download and use the free Stop Motion Studio app. This will live alongside a selection of low-tech activities, such as writing postcards from an imaginary holiday to send to an isolated relative.