Alexandra Borghino from Singing Willows has been leading the Drawing Club at James Gillespie’s Primary School since September 2025.
With a professional background in visual art and illustration, Alexandra is also a published children’s author who is passionate about encouraging creativity, imagination, and confidence in young people through storytelling and the arts.
This term, Alexandra introduced an ambitious collaborative project with the pupils: the creation of an original children’s book written and illustrated entirely by the students themselves. Each child developed their own story ideas before beginning work on accompanying illustrations, allowing them to explore both creative writing and visual storytelling in a supportive and inspiring environment.
The project has been designed to give pupils the opportunity to see their ideas celebrated within a professional-style creative process. Once completed, the book will become a lasting keepsake of their time at Drawing Club and a shared achievement the children can feel truly proud of.
Alexandra plans to publish the finished book through the Singing Willows website, with proceeds supporting the continued development of accessibility and inclusive practices across future Singing Willows projects. The aim is to help ensure that more children and families can access high-quality creative experiences, regardless of additional support needs.
Creating accessible opportunities within the arts is something that matters deeply to Alexandra. She strongly believes that all children should have access to creative expression and meaningful artistic experiences. Through Singing Willows, she is committed to developing projects and initiatives that make the arts more inclusive, welcoming, and accessible for every child.
