A Finnish arts educator held an unusual craft-based course in Dalby over the Easter school holidays.

The three-day course, which was supported by Culture Vannin, focussed on encouraging creativity and imagination through Manx folklore.

Hosted at St James Community Hub in the heart of Dalby, the course was led by filmmaker and puppeteer Juulia Kalavainen, whose fascination with Manx folklore - and particularly the mysterious tales of Dalby - made it a natural choice as a venue.

The course saw the young participants create their own papier-mâché puppet, with which they told stories that embodied their own characters inspired by traditional Manx folklore.

The children created a cast of imaginative characters - including mermaids, a fairy, the Moddey Dhoo, Gef the talking mongoose, and ‘Bob’, a three-eyed fire spirit - and added a carefully chosen ‘heart’ found on a walk to Niarbyl shore.

Their stories, inspired by Manx folklore such as The Mermaid of Gob ny Ooyl and The Moddey Dhoo of Peel Castle, were performed for family and friends in a final showcase.

Juulia, who is from Finland and lives in Edinburgh, is a regular visitor to the island, drawn by the rich folklore to be found here.

Juulia said: ‘The old school rooms at St James' church, children's imagination, Manx tradition and folklore, the coastal landscapes and spring time nature in Dalby created an awesome canvas for these puppet characters to come out and play.

‘The folklore of the Isle of Man is very unique and well preserved, and it's been so inspiring and a real privilege to get to connect with these stories, and to work with the island community and this fantastically creative group of children.’

The course was supported by a small grant from island charity Culture Vannin.

Professor Angela Little, member of the board of Culture Vannin, said: ‘A creative course like this has the potential to give children experiences which will last them a lifetime.

‘That this is grounded in the island and its stories, gives children a real sense of place and belonging.

‘We are extremely proud of what the children achieved through Juulia’s creativity and our charity’s support.’

A spokesperson from the charity added: ‘Culture Vannin is dedicated to celebrating, developing, and preserving the vibrant culture of the Isle of Man.

‘Through its grant-giving scheme, Culture Vannin can provide financial support to projects that: offer community outreach and skills development opportunities; deliver festivals and events that bring people together; publish the Isle of Man's stories in print or online; record traditional or original Manx music for CD or streaming platforms; and deepen our understanding of the Isle of Man's rich heritage through academic research.

‘Projects must be “of the Island or associated with the Island and its people” and focus on at least one of these areas: art, crafts, language, literature, history, folklore, music, dance, natural history, ecology, archaeology, architecture, law, or industrial development.’

Details of the charity’s grant-giving scheme can be found at https://culturevannin.im/grantsawards/grants/