Phil Cummings: Stories Behind the Books
This FREE interactive exhibition takes you into the creative mind of award-winning South Australian author Phil Cummings.
Editor’s Note: Due to popular demand, the Phil Cummings: Stories Behind the Books exhibition has now been extended to Sunday 29 September 2019 (previously was running until 21 July 2019).
From his first book, Goodness Gracious! to his latest award-winning picture book, Boy, Phil’s career spans 30 years and more than 80 publications. He continues to enchant, entertain and engage young readers today. Drawn from the State Library collections as well as Phil’s personal materials and manuscripts, this exhibition is a rare opportunity to discover the secrets and stories behind Phil’s approach to the creative process of writing. The exhibition is presented by the State Library of South Australia as part of the DreamBIG Children’s Festival.
Visitors can discover first-hand how stories grow from notes and original ideas through many drafts, and the importance of characters, setting, language and plot in good storytelling. The characters and worlds that Phil has created in his books are brought to life in the exhibition space, including a country chook shed reading space for children. Also recreated is the younger Phil’s lounge room as he watched the history making Moon Landing in 1969, which is the topic of his soon to be released book, Touch the Moon.
Younger visitors can also explore storytelling through the interactive side of the exhibition, including:
- A giant lightbox sand table to encourage dynamic storytelling in a highly tactile medium, and to spark reflection on Indigenous stories and methods of transmitting them.
- Writing ideas table with plenty of scrap paper and writing prompts to capture the essence of creativity and perhaps even begin your own bestseller.
- Inspired by Phil’s fable Boy, about a little boy who faces a dragon and stops a war, visitors can face their own ‘dragon’ and sculpt a dinosaur, dragon, monster or even their greatest fear from clay, then display it, take it home or conquer it as they want. This activity is about finding power within to be your own hero.
Phil Cummings: Stories behind the books, is an exhibition for anybody who is a child, has a child or ever was a child, and is on display at the State Library of South Australia from the 18 April until 29 September 2019.
Entry to the exhibition is FREE.
Opening Times:
- Monday to Wednesday | 10am to 7:45pm
- Thursday and Friday | 10am to 5:45pm
- Saturday and Sunday | 10am to 4:45pm
Not open on public holidays.
For more information and all enquiries please visit the SLSA website.
What: Phil Cummings: Stories Behind the Books
When: Thursday 18 April – Sunday 29 September 2019 | See opening hours above
Where: State Library of South Australia | Cnr North Terrace & Kintore Avenue, Adelaide
Who: Ages 4+
At Play & Go Adelaide we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.
Image Source: Supplied
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