About Jacqueline
Being the eldest of six children laid a firm foundation and plenty of practice for my storytelling skills, as I entertained my youngest brothers with stories and orchestrated imaginative play with all my siblings.
My three sons later enjoyed my stories, as did children in my care, ranging from 3 to 12 years, when I was employed as a Youth and Community worker. At the same time I worked part-time as an Adult Literacy tutor culminating in a pioneering project with offenders. This and my experience of Youth work lead me to train as a Probation Officer, in which area I worked for 18 years. I developed group work and drama methods that enabled offenders to gain insight into their behaviour.
A change of direction meant that I trained and worked as a Steiner teacher (1996 · 2001) which brought the enriching experience of stories back into my life; I used them daily as a basis for my teaching. Following a year of fun as a volunteer at my local school, telling stories and conducting drama, music and art sessions, I became a professional storyteller. In this role I have worked with children and adults alike and have recently taught creative writng on a pioneering scheme for adults with mental health issues. We hope, shortly, to publish the students work.