This year’s Word Festival is bigger and more ambitious than ever. The Word Festival is an ambitious initiative of commissioned activities, events and workshops which focuses on and explores the pleasure of reading and writing and freedom of expression. It will start on 1 May 2013 and will be a celebration of the work of the borough’s literature sector, local writers and the local community. Through a unique collaboration between Islington Library and Heritage Services, Islington Arts Service, Free Word and the boroughs arts sector the activities, events and workshops will reach across communities in Islington. Download the full festival brochure
here. Throughout May we’ll be celebrating reading, writing and freedom of expression with events including:
- Grandad, Dads and lads poetry event at Arsenal FC
- Creative writing workshops run by Birkbeck for young people
- Teen Book vote with an event at Waterstones, Islington Green
- Bookwraps – trees across the borough will be wrapped in bookjackets
- Week-long mini-festival of events in Archway area
- Personal play readings at a public picnic - written by professionals performed by young people
- Young people produced open-mic night in a local café - scripts, spoken word, rap with guest artists
- A mental health focussed creative writing project leading to a publication and performance
- Storytelling walks in various locations by storyteller Helen East
- Turkish Translator in residence working with comic artist in 3 secondary schools, resulting in sharing event and publications @ Free Word
- An audio magazine to accompany Talking news for Blind and Visually Impaired residents
- Intergenerational workshops in various art forms to be showcased at the Spring ball
- Guerilla knitting and story workshops and sharing event
- A creative night time walking workshop around cultural hotspots led by Innua Ellams resulting in a short film
- Reading Flashmobs and a lot more….