Workshops 
Proposed approach and type of activities
The workshops that Sylvi Belleau offers allow young people to familiarize themselves with the art of story telling, by way of a tale chosen by the artist or a personal tale. An initial exercise is intended for pupils of the first cycle of primary. The host begins by presenting a tale, which the participants then retell in their own words. Afterwards, they are asked to illustrate a sentence of the story. The illustrations can be put together in the form of a collective book.
Two other types of workshops are proposed to pupils of the third cycle of primary and secondary students. Ms. Belleau first presents the origins of the art of story telling, after which she recounts a short story. The participants are then called upon to identify the differences between reading, the art of story telling and drama. They go on to tell a story that they themselves have written or that was proposed by the artist. In addition to putting participants in the situation of a story-teller, these workshops develop their ability to listen, their memory and their capacity for synthesizing, while giving them greater assurance when it comes to oral expression.
Proposed activities
Playing out the tale – Pre-school and 1st cycle of primary (1 hour)
Guided by the artist, the children discover gesture work and space layout by playing the characters of the tale. At the end of each workshop, each child takes an active part in playing out the tale.
Creation of a collective book – Primary (1 to 2 hours)
The story is divided so that each participant can create an illustration. Once completed, the illustrations are assembled in book form. Each class illustrates a different tale and the pupils become ambassadors of their story by sharing it with pupils of other classes.
Introduction to the art of story telling – 3rd cycle of primary and secondary (1 hour)
Through the pooling of their knowledge, young people discover the origins of speech, literature and major inventions (ex. Paper) and are made aware of their impact on the evolution of the transmission of stories. Participants are then introduced to the work of a story-teller by presenting, based on a model, a story in their own words.
Introduction to dramatic writing – 3rd cycle of primary and secondary (2 hours or more)
The workshop is a dynamic and fun way to stimulate writing. Based on a tale that has been presented, each team works in cooperation in order to write the dialogues of a scene. At the end of the workshop, a period is devoted to reading all the texts .