Illustrator internship success

A knowledge exchange project between Dr Naomi Tyrrell (social scientist and author) and Tatum Croft (University of Plymouth graduate and freelance illustrator) has led to the development of an educational resource that takes the form of a children’s picture book, designed to support children and their families with the process of moving home.

Naomi was very conscious while writing the book to be inclusive; to think about campaigns, people’s experiences and characters who haven’t been equally represented in children’s books historically. The prevailing message behind the story is that there are always ways of making the process of moving house a positive experience for children and families.

– Naomi Tyrell, social scientist and author

This project began when Naomi started developing an organisation focused on supporting families move house. This was inspired by her interest in people’s moving experiences, stemming from her own experiences as a child and continuing to the experience of moving with her family now that she has her own children. As part of this new business adventure, she began by writing a book for parents about how to help their children adjust when moving home, drawing on her eighteen years of research on children’s experiences of moving home. Because of the success of the first book, Naomi was inspired to create a companion book marketed to children, however, due to the different requirements of a younger audience, this new book also required illustrations.

Naomi wanted to find out if there were any students or graduates from the University of Plymouth who could bring her story to life, so she visited the IGNITE webpage where she noticed Tatum’s profile and portfolio. Tatum was encouraged to apply for the virtual internship opportunity that Naomi had created with support from Sarah Holcombe, Project Manager on the Virtual Internship Scheme. Tatum was successful and the pair worked together collaboratively throughout the Internship.