No More Sleeping
A groundbreaking picture book and musical brought the creativity of Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust pupils to life. Developed in collaboration with leading regional creatives, No More Sleeping celebrated the history, heroes and future of the North East through an ambitious and imaginative Trust-wide project.
Watch the Event Highlights
Relive some of the unforgettable moments from No More Sleeping as our pupils, staff and creative partners came together to celebrate the heritage, creativity and future of the North East.
The Story
No More Sleeping tells the inspiring story of Dot, a teenage girl struggling with the loss of her grandparents. Her world transforms when she receives Marra, a Multifunctioning Autonomous Robotic Resource Assistant — not just a machine, but a living archive of her family’s history and the untold stories of the North East.
Guided by Marra, she embarks on a mesmerising adventure, encountering historical figures from the heritage of the North East. Together, they uncover the region’s rich industrial and cultural legacy, sparking a movement towards a future driven by arts, technology, sustainability and innovation.
Meet Marra
23 September 2026
The premiere brought pupils, staff, families and creative partners together for a memorable celebration of the No More Sleeping project. You can still view the programme from the event below.
View Event ProgrammeThe Picture Book
The No More Sleeping picture book was created in collaboration with pupils, demonstrating that world-class creativity can begin in the classroom.
Pupils helped to shape the project by contributing their ideas, imagination and artistic skills to both the story and its illustrations.
From developing characters and suggesting plot ideas to creating artwork and visual details, the children’s creativity was at the heart of the process, making the finished book a truly shared achievement.
Copies of No More Sleeping are available for £10 per book.
The Musical
No More Sleeping premiered on Wednesday 23 September 2026, bringing the story to life through an ambitious celebration of our region and its people.
Through music, performance, storytelling and technology, pupils brought the story to the stage and showcased the creativity, ambition and innovation that runs throughout the North East.
The performance marked the culmination of an extraordinary creative collaboration and celebrated what can be achieved when young people are given the opportunity to imagine, create and perform.
Celebrate this unique Trust-wide creative project and the imagination, talent and ambition of our pupils. Copies of No More Sleeping are available for £10.
Our Creative Partners
This extraordinary project was made possible through a unique collaboration with acclaimed writer Richard O’Neill MBE, renowned musician and community leader Mike McGrother, illustrator Michelle Russell and Seven Stories — The National Centre for Children’s Books.
With special thanks to Durham University’s humanoid robot Alan, a Unitree G1 Edu humanoid designed specifically for education and AI research.
