A creative learning experience of curiosity, storytelling and discovery, building confident voices through oracy.
About the show
Unfold an interactive storytelling performance in the classroom from Unearthed beneath your school, a mysterious chest has reappeared – weathered but intact, and filled with strange artefacts: sharks’ teeth, Krobo beads, time-travelling watches and bottled scents from lost worlds. Believed to be the long-lost Curiosity Chest of 19th century explorer Frances Ann Potts, it arrives with a mission. Her father had urged her to explore the world, to know its people and to take pride in her ancestral roots. Now, your pupils can continue her legacy. The Curiosity Chest is an immersive storytelling experience. Through live performance and discovery, pupils unlock imagination, become Collectors and celebrate the strange, the beautiful and the extraordinary.
Key Stage / Year Groups:
- KS1, KS2 and SEND
SEND Show Adapations:
- Shorter duration for smaller groups, sensory exploration and a calm, supportive atmosphere.
Relevant areas of the National Curriculum:
- English
- Writing and speaking,
- Wellbeing
- Developing a growth mindset
- Communication in speaking and listening
- History and cultural understanding
- PSHE
- British values
- Democracy
- Creativity
- Pupil voice.
About the pupil workshops
Led by the Collectors, the workshop invites students to become explorers, historians and storytellers, guiding a new generation in the art of noticing, collecting and wondering. Trained in interpreting oddities and sparking imagination, the Collectors support students in uncovering the chest’s secrets through drama, discussion and creative writing. Children investigate artifacts, ask bold questions, and create their own responses, poems, news reports and imaginative tales.
This workshop ignites curiosity, celebrates the unusual, and empowers students to see the world differently and contribute to Frances Ann’s growing legacy as Collectors.
Workshop SEND adaptations:
- Shorter session
Teacher twilight CPD
The CPD will allow teachers and support staff to explore artefacts, experience the activities their pupils will encounter, and gain practical techniques in drama, storytelling and creative writing. With a focus on inclusive, curiosity-driven learning, the session supports staff in embedding creative literacy across the curriculum for all learners.
This CPD can accommodate up to 5 to 30 members of staff.
About Emergency Exit Arts
Emergency Exit Arts (EEA) creates bold, transformative outdoor arts and school-based projects that spark curiosity, confidence and creativity. We bring accessible culture to communities and children, empowering them as participants and creators. Through shared artistic experiences, we challenge the ordinary and enrich lives with imagination, wonder and meaningful expression.
