WORD2021 marks year #10 of this unique festival which brings together ARTS, LIBRARIES and COMMUNITIES in Islington. This special 2-part anniversary edition – in June and October 2021- celebrates and shines a spotlight on a range of projects working with communities to make connections, both online and offline – from All Change, Key Changes, Lyrix Organix, House of Illustration, Almeida Theatre, Cubitt Artists and more!
View the programme HERE. 
WORD2021 marks year #10 of this unique festival which brings together ARTS, LIBRARIES and COMMUNITIES in Islington. This special 2-part anniversary edition – in June and October 2021- celebrates and shines a spotlight on a range of projects working with communities to make connections, both online and offline – from All Change, Key Changes, Lyrix Organix, House of Illustration, Almeida Theatre, Cubitt Artists and more!
View programme HERE
16-18 July 2020 – Almeida Theatre presents: Shifting Tides, a new digital festival exploring the intersection between art and the climate crisis.
Aimed at and created with 14 – 25 year olds, the festival will take over the Almeida’s digital platforms from Thursday 16 – Saturday 18 July, and features a brand new audio drama, world premiere film screenings, panel discussions with artists and creatives, and online exhibitions.
At the centre of the festival is the world premiere of Ben Weatherill’s new audio drama As Waters Rise, performed by members of the Almeida Young Company.
All events are free to attend, but registering attendance in advance is essential.
As #WORD2020 #WellConnected comes to a close, there are plenty of amazing opportunities to enjoy and engage creatively with WORDs this summer.
Children and young people can take part in the annual Summer Reading Challenge with Islington Libraries. This year it’s all about funny books, happiness and having a laugh. The Challenge aims to make sure children aged 4-11 keep up the reading habit over the summer and discover new authors and types of books to read. Due to COVID-19, the Summer Reading Challenge is coming to children in a different way. Rather than featuring the usual face-to-face conversations with library staff about what they’ve read, it will be mostly online, with emphasis on getting children into reading and taking part in reading-related activities.
To mark the end of the #WORD2020, House of Illustration has shared an extract of their book Jacqueline Ayer: Drawing on Thailand, which celebrates the ground-breaking, globetrotting polymath: part author-illustrator, part fashion designer, part entrepeneur.
Born in 1930s New York to Jamaican parents, Ayer grew up with Milton Glaser in the first interracial housing in the US. House of Illustration is honoured to share this extract with an introduction by Glaser himself, the man behind the iconic I Love New York design, who sadly passed away last week.
Read an extract from House of Illustration’s book on the extraordinary black American author, illustrator and designer Jacqueline Ayer HERE
During lockdown young women aged 16-25 taking part in All Change’s B Creative programme have created a collection of individual and group poetry and photography with Associate Artists Cecilia Knapp and Marysa Dowling. The poetry and photography explore the theme of kindness. See all the poems and photography HERE
Illustration by Holly Bushnell – Pathways
In June 2020, in response to the Black Lives Matter campaign, Inspire! young parents project created a group poem, working with Associate Artists Cecilia Knapp and Sarah Blanc.
As part of a collaboration for WORD2020 with House of Illustration and Pop-Up, a commission was offered to participants in Pathways – a two-year programme for the next generation of talented illustrators from diverse backgrounds – to illustrate the poem. Three illustrations were chosen, created by Chanté Timothy, Holly Bushnell and Glory Alozie.
See the full poems and illustrations HERE.
The poem and illustrations have also been published on Instagram for WORD2020 #WellConnected festival.
During the Covid-19 lockdown young parents, young women and older people in Islington have been working with All Change Associate Artists Francesca Beard, Cecilia Knapp and Sarah Blanc to create poetry in response to the crisis and for their community. As part of a collaboration with House of Illustration for Word2020, Illustrators Toya Walker, Sion Ap Tomos and Merlin Strangeway have illustrated a selection of the poetry to create a series of greetings cards. The cards will be sent this week with food deliveries from St. Luke’s Centre, Alsen Day Centre, New Park Day Centre, Manor Gardens and Age UK Islington, and to care homes including The Mildmays, to older people and families isolated at home.
The poetry and illustrations have also been published on Instagram
Little Angel Theatre presents When… 11am
“When I grow up I want to be clever and funny, wild and free”. In When… one little bear shares his hopes and dreams. Determined to explore the world yet stay true to himself, he heads off on an inspirational adventure. This puppetry adaptation of Emma Dodd’s picture book has been created by Pinwheel theatre during the lockdown in association with Little Angel Theatre.
(Available until 30 Sep)
6pm Freedom of Sexpression: Pride, Comics and Tom of Finland – HOUSE OF ILLUSTRATION
Comics expert Paul Gravett and Tom of Finland Foundation President Durk Dehner in conversation to celebrate Pride – part of #Toms100 and Islington Word Festival. A free Zoom event. This is event is now SOLD OUT – join the waiting list HERE
(Please note: this event will be recorded, contains sexual imagery and is for those aged 18+ only.)
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