Can you help get Everybody Reading?

The Literature Network are proud to be a partner in the Everybody’s Reading festival which will run from 2nd-10th October 2010, and we want to know if you can help get Everybody Reading in Leicester?

We are looking for people and organisations who love reading to join in with the Everybody’s Reading festival between 2nd – 10th October 2010. Special reading events will be taking place all over the city in schools, libraries, community centres, theatres, shops and restaurants. If you are someone who loves reading and would like to help, or a venue that would like to host a reading event, we want to hear from you.

The deadline for small grants and to get details of your event listed in the Everybody’s Reading newspaper is Friday 23rd July 2010.

Everybody’s Reading is part of Whatever It Takes, a pioneering scheme to get every primary school child in Leicester reading, and is organised in partnership with Leicester City Council, the Literature Network and Leicester Libraries.

Small grants of around £200 will be available to help support events by voluntary and community groups and elsewhere if neccesary.

Look at the the Everybody’s Reading blog for updates about the festival: http://everybodysreading.wordpress.com

Get in touch with the festival organisers to discuss your ideas and get help planning an event: Damien Walter – damien@charnwood-arts.org.uk or Ellie Lee ellen.lee@sdsa.net

Follow us on:

Twitter : http://twitter.com/GetLestaReading
Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=124923777531151&ref=ts

Writer, Audio Drama

Ears Wide Open is an experiment in site specific audio drama – an opportunity for two writers (one from the West Midlands and one from the East Midlands) to write a series of short plays in response to locations in Birmingham and Nottingham.

Deadline:
28 Feb 2010
Ears Wide Open is an experiment in site specific audio drama – an opportunity for two writers (one from the West Midlands and one from the East Midlands) to write a series of short plays in response to locations in Birmingham and Nottingham.

Theatre Writing Partnership and Writing West Midlands are offering a bursary of £2000 to each writer, aiming to make a series of recorded stories/dramas/narratives which will be experienced by listeners in locations in both cities as part of the Birmingham Book Festival and the Momentum New Writing Festival. The locations in each city will echo each other: they might be green spaces in the city or underground spaces; they might be rooftop locations, night clubs, industrial spaces or cinemas.

The deadline for expressions of interest is 28 February 2010. The writing period will be March – June 2010 with production outcomes later in the year.

Derbyshire Reading Champion

Derbyshire County Council is looking to appoint a Reading Champion to work with library staff, staff from other Departments and other organisations to encourage a love of books and reading in children and young people.

The appointment is for two years, running from March 2010 to March 2012.  The brief will include a series of at least ten appearances, workshops and events over the two years, though it is expected that the honorary title will lead to further appearances during the tenure.

The Reading Champion will be featured as part of the Derbyshire Literature Festival and other major County Council events, including the Big Book Bash for children in care, the Hooked On Reading young people’s reading conference and family reading days.

The Derbyshire Reading Champion not only needs to be an established, published writer with links to Derbyshire, but will also need to demonstrate an ability to inspire children and young people to read, enjoy books and broaden their reading experience.  We expect this appointment to bring a high profile to reading as a vibrant and creative activity.

Applications are welcome from writers living, working or studying in Derbyshire, or with strong Derbyshire connections.

For further information and details of how to apply, visit www.artsderbyshire.org.uk/readingchampion or contact Julie Potton, Principal Librarian (Reader Development) at julie.potton@derbyshire.gov.uk or telephone 07824 – 626902.

Closing date for applications:   12 noon on Saturday, 12th December 2009.

Interviews will be held on Tuesday, 19th January 2010.

Storyteller (with magic) Wanted

People Express, ‘South Derbyshire’s professional community arts organisation’ are looking for an experienced storyteller with practical knowledge of working with children/young people to develop their own material and able to work jointly with other artists/artforms.

Dates: Project to be delivered between September 2009 and February 2010 Fee: £3000 to work with 3 groups Closing date: September 18th 2009

If you are interested in working with us please send your CV, a link to your website and/or details of your work to julie.batten@people-express.org.uk or by post to: People Express, Sharpe’s Pottery Heritage & Arts Centre, West Street, Swadlincote, South Derbyshire, DE11 9DG

www.people-express.org.uk

Writer Residency and Mentoring Opportunity

POET WANTED

We are looking for an excellent poet and performer with an easy-going nature and flexible working style to work with a group of young people outside mainstream education or at risk of exclusion in Northampton and help them to produce creative work inspired by museum and library collections.

Experience and skills: You will have experience of working with children and young people in a variety of settings, particularly hard to reach groups and those with challenging social and educational needs. Your poetry can take any form but you will be flexible and adaptable in your approach.

Commitment: You will run three sessions with a group of young people in Northampton between October 2009 and February 2010 and will attend one planning meeting. You will also be required to undertake some preparatory and follow up work for these sessions.

You will also be responsible for mentoring an inexperienced workshop writer throughout the project.

Fee: £600 plus up to £150 travel expenses.

To apply: Send examples of your work along with your CV and a covering letter outlining why you would be suitable for the project by 12 noon on Friday 25th September to:

Kate Wilkinson
Literature Development Officer
Arts Development Team
Northamptonshire County Council
Music & Performing Arts Centre
125-129 Kettering Road
Northampton NN1 4AZ

Or by email: kwilkinson@northamptonshire.gov.uk

For an informal talk about the position contact Kate on the above email or call 01604 824155 (Mondays and Tuesdays).

A Writing East Midlands and Literature Network project.

MENTORING OPPORTUNITY

We are looking for a writer interested but inexperienced in running workshops to shadow an experienced poet on a project with a challenging group of young people in Northampton. You will work with a group of excluded children to help them produce creative work inspired by museum and library collections.

What we’re looking for: You will be a keen writer looking build on your creative skills and gain experience of running workshops. You will be interested in, and comfortable with, working with children and young people, particularly those with challenging social and educational needs. Your writing can take any form but you will be flexible and adaptable in your approach.

Commitment: You will take part in three sessions with a group of young people in Northampton between October 2009 and February 2010 and will attend one planning meeting. This is an unpaid mentoring opportunity but your expenses will be covered up to the value of £60.

To apply: Send examples of your work along with your CV and a covering letter outlining why you would be suitable for the project by 12 noon on Friday 25th September to:

Kate Wilkinson
Literature Development Officer
Arts Development Team
Northamptonshire County Council
Music & Performing Arts Centre
125-129 Kettering Road
Northampton NN1 4AZ

Or by email: kwilkinson@northamptonshire.gov.uk

For an informal talk about the position contact Kate on the above email or call 01604 824155 (Mondays and Tuesdays).

A Writing East Midlands and Literature Network project.

BBC Drama Writers Academy

The Writers Academy is a major initiative aimed at discovering and training the next generation of writers for BBC One’s flagship drama series: EastEnders, Casualty, Holby City, and Doctors.

The 2009 Writers Academy will accept applications from Monday 6 April.

Applications can be made online from that date at the BBC Jobs website.

https://jobs.bbc.co.uk/fe/tpl_bbc01.asp?newms=jj&id=21511

Eight writers are selected out of hundreds of applicants, to undergo an intensive 15-month programme designed to equip them with all the skills necessary to write successfully for BBC Drama. The course entails classroom training, lectures from the country’s best writers, instruction in all aspects of television production, and direct writing experience on the four Continuing Drama shows

What the Academy enables us to do is to attract writers with interesting and original voices to television. Many of the Academy writers come to us from radio or theatre backgrounds.

Showcase Live Artists Wanted

Are you a young man with experience of mental health issues? Are you also an emerging poet, writer, MC or budding performer? If so, ‘Showcase Live’ needs you!

What is it?

• A creative arts project targeting mainly BME (Black and minority ethnic) young men aged 16-35.

• Using artforms like poetry, hip-hop, rap and others.

• Taking place between May and July 2009.

• 4 young men will work with professional arists to produce a live showcase of their own work.

• Performances will be part of The Lyric Lounge at The Y Theatre in July.

• Each young man will be paid £200 for his participation.

Tell me more …
Over a series of 10 creative workshops, young men will receive guidance from the following artists: Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze – the internationally acclaimed poet of Jamaican origin. Michael Brome (AKA Sureshot) – experienced local poet and ‘big brother’ of the project. Talented young men who performed as part of the last successful Showcase Live project.

These workshops will lead to a final show, to be staged at The Y Theatre in July. It will be directed by professional producer Melanie Abrahams. The show will also feature music and digital images.

How do I get involved?

For more information, please contact Lydia Towsey (at WORD!) on secretagentartist@hotmail.com or Rickin Bilimoria (at 2Funky Arts) on 0116 222 0639/ rickin@2funkyarts.co.uk.

Deadline for applying for this opportunity is 15th April 2009 and places cannot be guaranteed.

‘Showcase Live’ is an exciting project made possible by funding from Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust and Arts Council East Midlands. It’s core partners are BrightSparks Arts in Mental Health Group, Akwaaba Ayeh and Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust. It is being run in close partnership with organisers of The Lyric Lounge. The Lyric Lounge (phase 1) is managed by 2Funky Arts, with creative programming from WORD and guidance from a steering committee (led by Writing East Midlands and featuring Apples and Snakes and Mainstream Partnership). It is part of MLA and Renaissance East Midlands’ contribution to the region-wide ‘Igniting Ambition’ programme and is being undertaken in partnership with Arts Council East Midlands. Additional funding is being sourced from Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, Leicester Libraries and Leicester City Council.

Eastside Spoken Word Submissions Sought

Deadline: 06 Apr 2009 – London
Eastside Educational Trust is showcasing filmmakers and spoken word artists, who will team up to create short films. The best films will be showcased on Eastside’s website, and sent to media company Reel Grrls; the best film will be broadcast. read more…

Writer Sought for Commission in Exeter

Invitation to tender for “Would this be home?” – a story of black and minority ethnic homelessness in Devon.

ScriptunScript – producers of the new writing programme at Theatre Upstairs at the Globe, Exeter – is collaborating with the charity Devon Inclusive Housing Project (D.I.H.P.) to create a training video for housing workers.

D.I.H.P. works specifically with clients from black and minority ethnic backgrounds to find accommodation whilst overcoming the challenges of harassment, racism, language barriers and often a severe lack of resources. D.I.H.P. is a government funded initiative and its funding ceases in June this year. The training video is designed to make a lasting resource for housing organisations in Devon to ensure that BME homelessness does not become a forgotten reality once the charities work is over and that professionals at all levels in the industry are actively aware of their responsibilities to this area of acute hardship.

The chosen writer will work with source material from a selection of the charities former clients to create between 30 to 45 minutes of material. The fee is £1400. Travel expenses are paid separately. To apply please provide a copy of your cv along with one sheet of A4 describing your interest in the project, relevant knowledge/experience in the area and how you would respond creatively to the source material. Please also include an example of your work. We welcome applications from writers with links to BME communities and are particularly interested in applications from south west based writers.

For an informal discussion about the project please contact Theatre Upstairs Artistic Director Madeleine Vose on 07930 206917. Applications can be emailed to madeleine@theatreupstairs.co.uk or posted to Theatre Upstairs at the Globe 67b Headland Crescent, Exeter EX1 3NP. Closing date for applications: 12pm Friday 6th March

http://www.theatreupstairs.co.uk/

The following links provide some information around BME and housing resources in the Devon region.

http://www.devonrec.org.uk

http://www.eci.org.uk/ujimagroups.htm

Heritage: Auditions @ WORD

Heritage: 7 poets perform new work inspired by museums objects.

As part of The Lyric Lounge (25th -31st July), WORD! and 2Funky Arts are seeking seven emerging talents to write
and perform new work, inspired by museum objects.

Commissioned poets will be paid £200 each and attend six closely mentored workshops, between
April and July 09, with renowned poet and director, Kevin Fegan.

Their finished work will be professionally set to music and visuals and performed as ‘Heritage’ one of 7 high profile ‘Lyric Lounge’ nights.

‘Heritage’ will explore Special Olympics values and be a chance to develop your talent and profile
whilst learning more about accessing museum resources.

WORD! and 2Funky Arts will be holding an audition to select participants for ‘Heritage’.

The audition will be held as part of WORD! in March.

To register and for more information please
contact Pam Thompson, via: violetstar22@hotmail.com.or via Facebook

You can also register on the night.

We really want you to perform as you normally would at an open-mic (for about 3-5mins) but feel free to incorporate the theme/s of Heritage into your piece if you’d like to.

We also have our usual open-mic and special guest Tug Dumbly. Watch out for a separate announcement!