Arkansas Freelance Composer, Author, Independent Artist
United Imaginations Workshops
Arkansas Arts Council Artist in Residence
Arts In Education
Artist in Residency - Arkansas Arts Council
Writing with children and adults enriches team skills, expands imagination, and opens up a path wrapped and bundled into a lasting keepsake. There is something genuinely wonderful about holding a book in one's hands that you know you were a part of; it is the quintessential time capsule of a special passage in a child's life." - Laura Botsford.
My United Imaginations Workshops offer children of all ages opportunities to develop collaborative creative writing, illustration, acting, and Theater production skills.
Laura Botsford in the Arkansas Arts Council Artist in Residency Arts and Education.
Arts In Education
Enter a world of Imagination with a moral compass and wondrous adventures that teach and inspire. Matching Grants with the Arkansas Arts Council
A Wish is What Your Heart Makes
Finale song from The Wish Sunflower
Endorsement from Lois Duncan, author of I Know What You Did Last Summer and Hotel for Dogs
"This is a fantastic concept - having children create their own books within a structured program that, nevertheless, permits them to utilize every aspect of their imagination and then experience the great satisfaction of seeing their creations materialize to be shared by others.”
- Lois Duncan, Author
Pure Imagination
Original Plays
Books Written by Children
Acting and Production
Speaking Engagement Workshop
I've moved to Conway, Arkansas, where I welcome workshops in the central part of our state. I am available statewide with a matching grant that includes travel and lodging.
Play - Drama - Music United Imaginations Productions
Plays with Students
My Backyard and The Wish
are Original Musicals with the kids from Portland Elementary in Arkansas. Laura Botsford wrote it. The Art and Music Teachers collaborated with the kids to learn their music and create sets and costumes.
These are Hands-on Workshops in Producing a Play with a step-by-step process that students and faculty participate in during school, after-school, or a summer program. This workshop integrates curriculum and the immersion of music and art classes in the making of an original play or musical.
New Musicals for Production
Free review this PDF with song links in the script. For a Theatrical Production,
© 2026 by Laura Botsford. All rights reserved
Free review this PDF with song links in the script. For a Theatrical Production,
© 2026 by Laura Botsford. All rights reserved
The Wish Sunflower
Long ago, in a kingdom where wishes once bloomed as brightly as sunshine, there stood a Magical Sunflower unlike any other. Towering above the town walls, the Wish Sunflower granted hopes, dreams, and blessings to anyone whose heart was filled with kindness and care.
But those days had faded.
The King spent his days locked away in his counting house, stacking mountains of gold and counting coins from dawn until dusk. The more gold he gathered, the more he wanted. Across the palace, the Queen sat in her grand parlor feasting on cakes, pies, honeyed breads, and every sweet treat imaginable. Neither ruler noticed the troubles growing beyond the castle gates.
The townspeople struggled. The streets grew shabby. Gardens withered. And worst of all, the magical Wish Sunflower began to droop. Its golden petals lost their shine, and soon no wishes bloomed at all.
Then one day, a young girl arrived at the palace carrying nothing but a watering can, a hopeful smile, and a curious question.
"What if things could be different?" she asked.
The King scoffed.
The Queen laughed.
But the girl simply smiled and spoke of the Power of Maybe.
Maybe a kingdom becomes richer when people share.
Maybe happiness grows when kindness is planted.
Maybe a single act of caring can change everything.
Twelve-year-old friends Kip and Miko are certain summer has run out of surprises.
The swings creak. The sprinkler sputters. The days stretch as long as the clouds drifting overhead. With nothing exciting to do, they spend their afternoons sprawled beneath an old oak tree in their backyard, complaining about boredom and wishing something extraordinary would happen.
Then, one afternoon, something does.
A jolly pirate named Pirate Pete magically appears in a mist of blue. Alongside him arrive an unusual band of companions: Birdella, a whimsical fairy dressed in bright bird feathers who speaks in riddles and songs, and Slugger Sam, a cheerful baseball player who believes every problem can be solved with teamwork and imagination. Fashionista, a costume designer, and supporting characters take them on a musical adventure; they discover that imagination can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.
But the greatest mystery arrives when Pirate Pete presents an ancient treasure map unlike any they've seen before. Instead of leading to gold, the map points toward something called The Land of Make and Believe, a place where stories come alive, and characters know they are part of a play.
As the children journey deeper into their own imaginations, they begin to notice curious clues. Why do scenes seem to change when someone has a new idea? Why do songs appear at just the right moment? And who is watching from beyond the red velvet curtains that occasionally appear at the edge of their adventures?
Soon, Kip and Miko realize they may be characters in a play themselves.
As they embark on a hilarious and heartwarming quest to discover who is telling their story and whether they can help create it themselves. Along the way, they learn that imagination is not about escaping the world. It is about seeing the magic already hidden inside it.
Make and Believe is filled with laughter, music, pirates, fairies, backyard adventures, and a playful "play within a play" twist. It is a celebration of creativity, friendship, and the wonderful truth that every child holds a treasure chest of stories waiting to be opened.
Make and Believe
Hello Beautiful Souls
Plays and Musicals
Acting Lessons
Short Story & Poetry/Books
Radio Shows
Librairy Events
Festival Enrichments
Grant Writing
Coalescing the Vapors
Neverlands INC 501c3
An Imagination is a terrible thing to waste
united imaginations productions
I believe now more than ever, that occupying a child with creative endeavors at an early age helps to make well–rounded, successful adults. - Laura Botsford
For details please visit me on the AAC website All available Grants with matching funds from the Arkansas Arts Council mini-grants up to a thousand dollars are available. Afterschool Program - Life Long Learning - Artist in Residency mini-grants
Laura resides in Conway, Arkansas, and has been writing children's books and plays for 25 years. She studied Early Childhood Development in college and worked in a Summer Theater Program at the Minneapolis Children's Theater.
"Books are a world all unto themselves, and writing them takes us places we never knew of before in a collaborative process that is a vital lifelong skill. There is something truly wonderful about holding a book in one's hands that you know you were a part of; it is the quintessential time capsule of a special passage in one's life." - Laura Botsford.
Laura is a multi-disciplinary artist with the Arkansas Arts Council. With 25 years of experience working with children and a radio script for her Delta community, she has self-published ten books, collaborating with schools and family centers.
Her United Imaginations Workshops empower children and adults through collaborative writing and illustration. Her mellifluous approach to teaching theater craft and behavioral and creative writing workshops is illuminated with well-being and moral lessons. Arts and Crafts workshops include mixed media, painting, and digital collage. She is also available for speaking engagements and Arts in Education workshops for teachers, PTO members, and administrators on the Art of Writing with Children.
Laura studied at the McPhail School of Performing Arts in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and taught an early summer childhood Arts program at the Minneapolis Children's Theater. She attended El Camino College, majoring in Early Childhood Education and Childhood Development. She attended Workshops in Theater, Classroom, and Curriculum Enrichment classes for Autistic, Hearing-Impaired, and behaviorally challenged students. She is a graduate of the Governor's Leadership School.
Serving Creative Community Spirit
Neverlands Inc Arts ~ 501 c 3 Nonprofit
DUNS # 968154364 EIN Number 71- 0729201
Vision Statement
Neverlands Inc. aspires to:
* Inspire communities with artistic spirit.
* Administer programs and events in the area, schools, and community events that enrich the lives of all ages in mind, body, and cultural growth that support and encourage individual imagination and well-being.
Values:
We believe that great community programming offers entertainment, enrichment, resources, inspiration, and community investment for all ages.
We value the artist in individuals whose task is to transform the realities of human experience into artistic and poetic truth.
Purpose:
Strengthening capability with hands-on workshops and events that will expand an appreciation of culture, history, and health by integrating the arts into everyday life.
We invest in rigorous attention to detail across all areas of community development, knowing it is essential to consider all aspects in year-long program planning that best serve the community as a whole.
We act collaboratively, believing that a partnership between the administrative and citizen arms of our community is essential.
We seek to operate the organization from a position of financial strength and fiscal responsibility.
We offer grant writing in conjunction with the Arkansas Arts Council for communities and organizations. If you are interested in bringing your own vision to life, please get in touch with Laura Botsford for a collaborative project.
Laura Botsford - President ~ Rhiannon Barber -Treasurer ~ Art Director~ Jessi Botsford
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
Lois Duncan - Author
"This is a fantastic concept, having children create their own books within a structured program that, nevertheless, permits them to utilize every aspect of their imagination and then experience the great satisfaction of seeing their creations materialize to be shared by others."
Lois Duncan- Author of
I Know What You Did Last Summer and Hotel for Dogs
J Austin White Cultural Center
"Working with Laura this summer was an absolute blast. The kids in our summer camp loved seeing their ideas turned into words on the page that they were able to illustrate themselves. She remained in constant communication during the production of the book and worked quickly and diligently to get the book published. Now our campers have a memento to remember camp by - along with the joy of reading, writing and drawing! I look forward to working with her again and would recommend her for any programs working with children."
Executive Director-Seth Paddock
J. Austin White Cultural Center
Cristy West - Principal
Mrs. Laura Botsford shared her creative talents with students at Portland Elementary. She wrote and directed a play titled The Wish. She had after-school practice sessions, worked with staff and students, and helped with set and costume design. The production was a huge success. The students were really engaged and excited about the whole process.
Cristy West
Portland Elementary Principal
Hamburg School District