The Zoo Project

The Zoo Project 2025

Stanhope Street Primary School, Dublin 7

The Zoo Project provided the students with an opportunity to connect with their locality using Dublin Zoo as a backdrop. The project involved the children creating their own illustrated book inspired by the zoo and their local community. The Dangerous School Tour was produced by the Black Church Print Studio following an eight-week residency with the 4th class pupils at Stanhope Street Primary School, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7. This project was initially conceived by Hazel Burke and Caroline Byrne of the Black Church Print Studio. Week one began with a presentation by Children’s Book Author, Illustrator and Black Church Print Studio member, Aileen Crossley. The following week saw the children visit Dublin Zoo, located in the Phoenix Park for an educational tour. Alongside Black Church Print Studio artists, they were introduced to different drawing techniques and encouraged to fill their notebooks with drawings of the animals they found living in the zoo. In week three, the pupils worked with the organisation Fighting Words to create a story based on their zoo adventures. Five more classroom workshop sessions involving brainstorming, printing and drawing resulted in the final illustrations for their story.

For their co-operation in bringing this book together, Black Church Print Studio would like to thank the 4th class children of Stanhope Street School for their enthusiasm, and outstanding artistic contribution to this ambitious project. A special thanks goes to their teacher Oisín Hallahan, for all his support; Roseanne Leddy, Education Officer at Dublin Zoo for leading the children on a guided tour; Shane Murphy from Cabra Library and Pierina Campbell from Fighting Words for hosting and delivering the creative story writing workshop; and Drew Chambers, transition year student at Coláiste Mhuire, Cabra who assisted the artists during the zoo visit and at the classroom workshops. Special thanks to Black Church Print Studio artists Caroline Byrne, An Gee Chan and Emily McGardle who facilitated the eight-week residency, and to Tomasz Knapik for the beautiful book design.

The Dangerous School Tour is a limited edition publication and is included in the Dublin City Council Cabra Library Collection, Stanhope Street School Library and Fighting Words Book Collection. A risograph version of the book was also produced for each of the children as a memento of the project.

The project was kindly funded by the Dublin City Council’s Community Development Grant, with Black Church Print Studio partnering with Stanhope Street School, Fighting Words, Dublin Zoo, and Cabra Library.

If you are interested in working with the Black Church Print Studio on a Community based project please get in contact.
Make an Enquiry
Outdoor classroom finished artwork
Outdoor classroom finished artwork

Session 1: Introduction to project and artist talk with Aileen Crossley
4th class pupils were introduced to popular picturebooks about animals including If I Ran the Zoo by Dr. Seuss, A Lion in Paris by Beatrice Alemagna, and The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr. Author and BCPS member Aileen Crossley spoke about how she writes and creates picturebooks, including her recent award winning book An Áit a nÉitlíonn na Madaí Crainn/ Where the Tree Dogs Fly.

Author Aileen Crossley holding a copy of her book which has a blue cover.

Session 2 – Visit to the zoo
The children visited Dublin Zoo, and were given a guided tour followed by a talk in the zoo Discovery and Learning Centre. Each child was given a pencil and notebook which they used to record their ideas and drawings throughout the project.

Session 3 – Exploring printmaking
Pupils were introduced to various printmaking techniques including monoprinting, screenprinting, and gelli plate printing. They also worked on developing the drawings they created during their visit to the zoo.
Session 4 – Fighting words workshop
The children visited Cabra Library to take part in a workshop hosted by Fighting Words where they worked on creating a story about a visit to the zoo. They also explored children’s poetry, and learned how to create a flow of words for their story.
Session 5 -8, – Bringing it all together
Children worked in groups to create imagery to tell their story using drawing and the printmaking techniques they learned. They finalised the text of the story, and decided on the page layouts.
The Dangerous School Tour book launch
In June 2026, the launch party for The Dangerous School Tour book took place in Cabra Library. The children, along with their teachers, and BCPS artists and Manager were in attendance to see the finished copy of the book presented to the Library. The children were each presented with a risograph copy of the book.