WORD

Coming to Archway for its second year – don’t miss Archway with Words 11-24 October 2014

The festival takes place in venues all over Archway including its Library, Archway Methodist Church, Archway Market, St John’s Church, Kogan Academy Drama School, The Hideaway Bar, Archway Tavern, The Oak & Pastor and open spaces. It’s great value for money with most events only a fiver, and many absolutely free. There are also great opportunities to join in and let your creativity loose.

Archway is a fascinating place to live with an abundance of great reasons to visit; it’s a terrific setting for a story…

visit www.archwaywithwords.com for full programme details!

Take part in After Word activities and opportunities this summer 2014:

Summer Reading Challenge – With the summer holidays underway don’t forget to sign up for:  Monsters, Mermaids and Magic
– The 2014 Summer Reading Challenge
The Mythical Maze theme challengesn children aged four to eleven to find their way around a labyrinth, introducing them to fantastical creatures from the world of legend and mythology. As well as collecting stickers of the characters and mini prizes, children completing six books get the chance to win a final major prize. The Challenge runs from 5 July – 14 September.For more information go to Click Here or visit Islington Libraries

A Letter to an Unknown Soldier -one hundred years from the day Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Vienna, A Letter to an Unknown Soldier invites participation from everyone in the country. Contributors can write now -as themselves in 2014, putting into words their thoughts and feelings as they look at an unknown soldier’s face. Try and tell the soldier what people are saying now – and not saying, now – about the war he died in; about the wars that we are still fighting; about the one hundred years that have passed since he and his colleagues died; or perhaps just about what it feels it like to get up every day and assume that you, unlike him, will never hear the sound of gunfire…visit www.1418now.org.uk

Saturday 31 May:

Word2014 comes to a close today. It’s been an extraordinary month with wonderful events and activities happening in all sorts of places.. Granddads, dads and lads spent a day at the Emirates stadium creating poems together; young people have explored stories of Chicken Shops; children have created pop up books, and poetry in playgrounds and parks. Although the festival finishes today, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy WORDS over the coming months as part of After-WORD! Don’t miss the Summer Reading Challenge 2014 challenging children aged 4-11 to find their way through a labyrinth of creatures.

Word Festival will continue to share all things reading, writing and freedom of expression throughout the year – and follow the Word Bird’s tweets too @wordislington

Friday 30 May:

At 7pm, All Change presents Inspire! Lives – The Celebration @ Free Word Centre.

To close the Word2014 Festival and mark the 10th anniversary of All Change’s award winning Inspire! project – young parents and their children will come together for a special celebration. This  event will feature extraordinary spoken word and performances and singing from the Inspire! choir, with contributions from special guest artists – Yemisi Blake, Stephanie Turner, Paul Lyalls and more. Inspire! Lives – The Celebration will challenge perceptions and attitudes to teenage parenthood through beautiful and honest work by young parents in their own words. Free entry, but booking essential. Click here to book

Thursday 29 May:

Don’t miss workshops for children an families: 2-5pm House Warming at House of Illustration; plus 10.30am-12.30pm and 2-4pm Garbage Monster Mash  puppet making with Little Angel Theatre at North Library.

7pm –  Chicken Shop Stories – a scratch performance by young people from Islington Community Theatre – part of an ongoing exploration into chicken shops and what they mean to us. At Platform – Just turn up!

7pm join English PEN and Free Word Centre for Translating the Syrian News – a panel of journalists discuss how events in Syria are reported with Chanel 4 presenter Paul Mason and guests. Book here

Wednesday 28 May:

10.30am-12.30pm & 2-4pm at South Library join Little Angel Theatre for a drop-in puppet making workshop Garbage Monster Mash taking inspiration from the many monster stories around! For ages 3-11, children must be accompanied by an adult. Workshops are also taking place at the same times on Thursday 29 May at North Library and Friday 30 May at Finsbury Library.

And the House Warming family events continue at House of Illustration 2-5pm today.

Tuesday 27 May:

2-5pm a week of Family Illustration Workshops begin at House of Illustration. Free entry Book Here Suitable for all ages. Children must be accompanied by an adult. All materials provided.

Saturday 24-Monday 26 May:

Brings both a Bank Holiday weekend and the start of the half-term holiday. Look out for the final Free Word of the Week appearing from Monday onwards in selected venues!

There’s still time to book for a whole host of activities for all the family in the final week of the festival…

Take part in a workshop:

House of Illustration are running a series of House Warming Family events from Tues 27-Sat 31 May 2-5pm at their brand new Kings Cross venue. Free entry but booking is required – email info@houseofillustration.org or call 020 7936 1280

Little Angel Theatre will be running drop in Garbage Monster Mash workshops in  libraries: 10.30am-12.30pm and 2-4pm on Wed 28 South Library, Thurs 29 North Library and Fri 30 Finsbury Library (Age 3-11)

Or book to see one of these events:

Chicken Shop Stories – Thurs 29 May 7pm  – a scratch performance by young people from Islington Community Theatre – part of an ongoing exploration into chicken shops and what they mean to us. Just turn up!

7pm 29 May  join English PEN and Free Word Centre for Translating the Syrian News – a panel of journalists discuss how events in Syria are reported with Chanel 4 presenter Paul Mason and guests. Book here

7pm Fri 30 May @ Free Word Centre, All Change  presents Inspire! Lives – The Celebration. Join young parents and their children for a night of poetry, prose and song to mark  the 10th anniversary of Inspire! teenage parents project and the finale of Word2014. Booking essential!

Friday 23 May:

Cardboard Citizens and Lyrix Organix present Speakeasy at Platform this evening 7pm.

Devised and rehearsed in the context of youth homelessness in partnership with City YMCA, 8 young people welcome you to their world. They’ll engage and provoke you, exploring our barriers to freedom of expression. Too book email petia@cardboardcitizens.org.uk or call 020 7377 8948. Pay what you think it’s worth!

Thursday 22 May:

Is a busy day for Word2014… All Change presents the extraordinary Poetry in the Playground at Thornhill Primary School featuring performances from Year 3 pupils, Word2014 poet-in-residence Paul Lyalls and extra special guest Michael Rosen! 6.30pm – bring a picnic £3 donation to the school – to book call All Change 020 7689 4646 …

…4-5pm, Islington Arts and Media School (Turle Road, N4 3LS) invite you to celebrate with an outstanding group of students at the launch of their First Story Anthology 2014. Enjoy refreshments and music before the students take the stand to read their best work! Just turn up!

..and from 4.30 -7.45pm, at First Steps Learning Centre, take part in Pop-Up Publishing with the Library Press – a new project looking at ways to get people publishing – working alongside bookleteer from Proboscis. Places are limited. To find out more visit: www.librarypress.org.uk