TWENTY-SIX lucky school children have been getting tips from a professional storyteller ready for the 2012 Olympics.

They have been taking part in a Thames Valley-wide project called the Tree of Light, which will culminate in performances involving about 1,200 people from schools and organisations.

In preparation, children at Bure Park School, Lucerne Avenue, Bicester, have been learning tricks of the trade from storyteller Rand Russell.

Former teacher Mr Russell, 61, originally from America, said: “I showed them how, as individuals, we are all part of a much larger story.”

They learned how to make a story more interesting, use props and use their own voices to create characters. Sessions are linked into the Tree of Light project, where groups have been exploring the wonders of trees through imaginative workshops led by scientists.

Over the next few months, tree stories will become part of the Tree of Light’s community celebrations.

Performances will be staged in Windsor, Oxford, and Henley during June and July 2012, in the run-up to the London Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Teacher Jennifer Wakefield said: “Rand Russell was fantastic. He wanted them to understand anything is possible with storytelling, and what they want to achieve.”