Hikaru Workshops

Engage with Our Interactive School Workshops

Stories have a unique way of helping young people think, ask questions and make connections.

The Hikaru workshops use an anime-inspired adventure story to support RE learning and help students explore themes such as identity, courage, disappointment, love, resilience and the person of Jesus.

We offer three carefully designed workshops for different key stages, each created to complement classroom learning and spark meaningful discussion. Students are invited to engage with the story, reflect on Christian ideas, and consider how these themes connect with life today.

If you would like to bring Hikaru into your school, we would love to hear from you.

KS2 – Love for Reading Workshop

This workshop uses Hikaru to help students discover the joy of reading, the power of imagination and the value of stories with deeper meaning.

Through extracts, discussion and creative activities, students explore how characters, settings and journeys can help us think about life, choices, courage and hope. The session introduces allegorical storytelling in an accessible way, showing how stories can communicate big ideas about faith, belief and the person of Jesus.

As well as supporting literacy and creativity, students reflect on how Hikaru connects with themes within the Christian faith and opens up thoughtful conversation about the story of Jesus.

The workshop gives students space to ask questions, make connections and discover how stories can help us understand important beliefs, values and ideas.

KS3 – Resilience Workshop

In this workshop, students hear extracts from Hikaru and explore the challenges faced by the characters as they journey through disappointment, danger, fear and hope.

Through storytelling, discussion and reflection, students are encouraged to think about what resilience means in real life. The session helps them consider how people keep going when things are difficult, where strength can come from, and how faith can shape the way someone understands courage, perseverance and hope.

The workshop also gives students a positive encounter with reading, showing how stories can help us ask big questions, understand ourselves more deeply, and explore the beliefs and values that shape people’s lives.

KS4/5 – God Reached Down: Core Beliefs about Jesus Workshop

God Reached Down explores the core Christian belief about who Jesus is and why he matters.

Designed as a helpful revision and enrichment workshop for GCSE and Post-16 students, this session brings clarity to some of the central ideas within Christian theology. Students are guided through key concepts such as the incarnation, Jesus as saviour, redemption and atonement, with a focus on how these beliefs connect together.

Rather than treating these ideas as isolated terms to remember, the workshop helps students understand the bigger Christian story behind them. By the end of the session, students will have a clearer understanding of what Christians believe about Jesus and how these beliefs can shape the way someone lives out their faith today.

  • "Hikaru provides an exciting and innovative approach to exploring faith, using the vibrant art of Manga and the power of storytelling to connect with young people in a meaningful way. These workshops are expertly designed for schools, offering a creative and engaging space for students to reflect on spiritual themes and their own personal journey. It's a fresh, dynamic resource that truly resonates with today's generation."

    - Dave Boden, Executive Directior, Grace foundation

  • I really enjoyed John’s workshop because he made it fun and lively by getting us to predict the characters personality. He also asked us to create our own characters. He put us into groups and we did activities together. His book was absolutely amazing.

    - KS2 Student

  • “This was an incredibly valuable interactive workshop, and I personally enjoyed the sessions. The materials were outstanding, your teaching is clear, beautifully illustrated naturally, and nicely idiosyncratic. I also really appreciated hearing about your creative process – the journey you have been on in writing this book and I am sure this will resonate with the students about the power of resilience. Thanks again for coming to share with us at TTS.”

    - KS3 Teacher

  • “Hikaru is a great series of stories written in an informal, chatty way ideal for children and teens. It is written in a fictional fantasy style and explores the biblical narrative in both subtle and more obvious ways, which opens the door to conversation and exploration of the themes the book raises. It is a great resource for Christians and those with no faith background at all. Hikaru can be read on your own, explored in a group and even used in school. John excels again in his ability to create captivating stories that hold the audience so well. I highly recommend it.”

    - Paul Friend: Director: South West Youth Ministries

  • “John came to HLC to deliver a GCSE revision session called God Reached Down. My students are studying the Edexcel Religious Studies B course which requires students to be comfortable with theologically difficult concepts such as redemption, atonement and salvation. John’s personable manner and clear enthusiasm for the content really engaged my class from the off. ”

    - KS4 Teacher

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