Pupils from Whinhill Primary were invited to the Beacon for a special tour of the arts centre to tie in with World Book Day.

The exciting event was organised by the school and the Beacon in partnership with Inverclyde Council's libraries service, with the aim of showcasing the magic of storytelling, reading and the arts.

Young bookworms enjoyed a storytelling session on stage with Emma Eremin, library service development officer for children and young people, and Lorna Meechan, supervisor at Greenock Central Library.

Actor and director Kevin Jannetts spoke to the youngsters about the history of the Beacon, and about the variety of productions staged at the theatre. 

Beacon co-director Lesley Davidson said the event was a fantastic demonstration of how the the centre connects with youngsters across Inverclyde.

Lesley added: "It was a real pleasure to welcome the class from Whinhill Primary School and help them mark World Book Day with a celebration of the power of storytelling.

"It's another example of our wider outreach and engagement work to make the arts accessible and fun for all.

"It was a wonderful morning and a positive way to connect the magic of the arts and magic of reading."

Whinhill linked up with the Beacon last year after P5/4 pupil Kian O'Shea won first prize in a design competition. 

Kian's colourful creation was printed in the panto programme for Beauty and the Beast. 

Panto actors Shannon Swan, who played Belle, and Sam Willison, who played Prince Sebastian, popped into the school to visit Kian and his friends, and invited them to the Beacon for a visit. 

Co director Lesley says she hopes youngsters will enjoy all the storytelling planned for the Beacon stage in the months to come. 

She added: "The Beacon's mission is to light up lives in Inverclyde through the magic of the arts. 

"As the Easter holidays approach, we look forward to welcoming young theatregoers and hope they enjoy our shows."