Young talents unleash creativity with paper and glue at SIBF

The “Moving Castles” workshop

The Moving Castles workshop transformed one corner of the fair’s venue into a lively craft zone for children aged eight to twelve.

“This workshop is about sparking creativity and imagination,” explained instructor Bernie Francie, smiling as he held up a handful of paper cups. “We’re using simple, everyday materials such as cups, caps, and rubber bands to make moving castles or roosters.”

Young creators at work

The moment the doors opened, twenty-two eager children dashed to claim their spots. Each was handed a small kit containing googly eyes, paper squares, scissors, glue, rubber bands, two plastic bottle caps, and a few marbles.

Within minutes, the room filled with the snip of scissors and bursts of laughter as the young participants cut, glued, and assembled their quirky paper-cup creatures.

Imagination in motion

Nine-year-old Hameed giggled as he glued his rooster’s eyes at odd angles. “This rooster is wonky; he can’t see straight,” he said proudly, showing off his handiwork.

At another table, ten-year-old Farhan was busy winding a rubber band tight beneath his creation. “This rooster is called Jacob,” he said. “He runs really fast!”

Turning ideas into creations

“In most creative activities, children usually focus on art or painting, but this workshop is different,” said Francie, the facilitator. “It encourages children to view everyday objects in a new way. A paper cup can become a castle, a car, a rooster, an angel, or a bird—anything is possible. Our goal is to help children imagine differently and then turn that imagination into a tangible creation.”

Where curiosity meets play

In just twenty minutes, the tables came alive with miniature paper roosters wobbling, hopping, and spinning across their surfaces — proof that creativity thrives when curiosity is given room to play.

A fair of boundless inspiration

The workshop is one of more than 1,200 activities taking place during the 12-day fair, which runs until 16 November. This year’s edition is among SIBF’s largest yet, drawing 2,350 publishers and exhibitors from 118 countries.

Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), the fair continues to cement Sharjah’s reputation as a global cultural capital — a place where books inspire not only readers but also the next generation of creators.