The Portal Centre for Social Impact is a space at London College of Fashion (LCF), UAL where students, designers and communities collaborate to facilitate positive social change.
Their most recent collaboration was with Brampton Primary School, with funding from Merchant Taylors, to celebrate World Book Day 2025. 500 early years foundation stage (EYFS) and Key Stage 1 (KS1) students were treated to a workshop on creating a costume piece inspired by Nadia Shireen’s Billy and the Dragon, in preparation for the school’s World Book Day parade.
Scarlet Gray, an LCF alum from BA (Hons) Fashion Textiles: Knit course, led the workshops with four inventive prop ideas, ranging from hand puppets and masks for Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), to screen printing on Knight tunics for Year 1s. Year 2s were given the chance to work on dragon masks and textile printing to create a fabric, that was then used to make a large-scale dragon which led a parade in front of parents and the school community.
Discover Children’s Story Centre, an immersive and playful Story Centre on Stratford High Street, aims to support a love of language, literature and imagination. On World Book Day, which took place on 6 March, Discover’s Story Builders visited Brampton Primary School to read Nadia’s Billy and the Dragon to the students, using props created by the children to inspire imagination within literature. Additionally, Penguin Random House generously donated 50 of Nadia’s books to Brampton Primary School given out to children most in need.
Before closing out the day, the children took part in the World Book Day parade, wearing the costume pieces they created and led by the collaborative dragon creation that Year 2s contributed to, and that was finalised and created by LCF Alumni of BA (Hons) Constume for Performance, Eva Michael-White. The dragon has been installed permanently in the school library for all to enjoy.
Alongside working with the school, LCF’s BA (Hons) Costume for Performance students have been undertaking public workshops for young children and their families at Discover.
Inspired by the Monster Funfair exhibition, showcasing a host of Shireen’s book characters, 6 second year LCF students designed costume props and facilitated family making workshops at Discover and Stratford Library. Over 180 children attended these workshops, culminating with a celebration for KS1 children from Park Primary School, who joined the library for a storytelling with Discover and a shield badge making workshop, led by the LCF students. One child said, “this was the best day of my life”. When asked why, he simply said “because we got to make things”.
This project reflects on the power of imagination and creativity to enhance community and a love for reading among young children.