Diwali at the Storybarn

Diwali at the Storybarn is on Saturday 7 November at The Storybarn, The Mansion House in Calderstones Park, L18 3JB. It's a session built around Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, which is India's biggest holiday. The whole thing brings the festival's stories and crafts into the barn, and it's run by The Reader's Story Hunters, who are returning to the same spot after a sell-out edition last time.

If you're not familiar with the festival, it's known as the Festival of Lights, and that's the thread that runs through the session. The Story Hunters will be exploring the festival's stories and crafts within the barn's setting, so it's a hands-on way of getting into it rather than just listening. It's best suited for children aged 4 to 9, though younger siblings are welcome too.

It's also worth knowing where this fits into the wider Liverpool scene. The city's Diwali celebrations are led by Milap, the UK's leading Indian arts and culture organisation since 1985. They also run INDIKA, a biennial festival of Indian classical arts launched in 2012, which has grown into one of Europe's largest of its kind. It brings music, dance, talks, workshops, films, yoga, poetry and storytelling across the city region, so there's a lot more to the city's Diwali celebrations than any one session.

So, if you've got kids in that 4-to-9 age bracket, this is a good way to introduce them to the festival. It's on Saturday 7 November at The Storybarn, The Mansion House, Calderstones Park, L18 3JB.