WORD

Tues 20 & Wed 21 May:

There’s still time to catch a range of exhibitions in different venues and public spaces …

All Change presents – Inspire! Lives at Free Word Centre celebrating the unheard voices of teenage parents; or enjoy work created by secondary school students at Central Library Gallery as part of Unheard Voices with Apples & Snakes; or the magical Pop-Up Books of John O’Leary continues until 6 June at Islington Museum. All these exhibitions are free entry too!

Or outside in our parks and gardens look out for  work created by our primary schools – Book Wraps on the trees at Highbury Fields celebrating the centenary of WW1; and poetry emerging in Graham Street Park, Whittington Park and King Henry’s Walk Garden as part of Poets in the Park from Garden Classroom

Monday 19 May:

Look out for this week’s new Free Word of the Week from this morning , the third in the series!

From 4.30 -7.45pm today and Thurs 22 May, 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 

Saturday 17 May:

Today don’t miss the Pop-Up Book Family Event 10am-5pm at Islington Museum with children’s author John O’Leary

– come and see how he develops stories, characters and pop-up designs – enjoy the exhibition and create your own work too! Free entry – drop in any time!

Don’t forget that there is still lots of wonderful Word2014 work to discover in unusual places out and about in Islington over the weekend too:

Theatre Nuggets from Islington Community Theatre – hidden plays, monologues, poems and scenes can be found in Islington’s most popular Chicken Shops …

… trees at Highbury Fields have been Book Wrapped with letters inspired by WW1 from Islington primary schools and part of Cityread 2014…

Friday 16 May:

6-8.30pm @ Free Word Centre, to mark the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO-T) and as part of Word2014’s celebration of Unheard Voices –  Article 19 hosts an evening of discussion about freedom of expression of sexual orientation and gender identity – Speak Up and Speak Out. Free entry, but booking required. Click Here

Thursday 15 May:  As we reach the half-way point for Word2014 there are still a huge range of events and activities to enjoy for all ages! This Saturday 17 May at Islington Museum 10am-5pm take part in a participatory Family Event as part of the Pop Up Books of John O’Leary exhibition  –  Free entry, drop in!  The exhibition runs until 6 June 2014.

Or have you visited the Word on the Streets online map to hear mini-plays, scenes and speeches by young people from Islington Community Theatre?

Or have you tried Islington Libraries’ Book Swap service yet? Part of the Islington Reads initiative the scheme enables you to pick up a book, read it, pass it on or replace it with one of your own that you want to recommend! Book Swaps can be found at leisure centres, youth hubs, learning centres and community centres – for more details click HERE

Wednesday 14 May:

1-2.30pm @Free Word Centre Children from Frank Barnes School for the Deaf and Gospel Oak School share what they have learned in workshops on signed poetry with artist Deepa Shastri and Free Word Translator in Residence Lucy Greaves. £5 (£3 Concessions)

While at N4 Library local primary school children have been invited to join Head2Head Theatre for a high energy interactive performances of The Chicken Circus – a tale of a fox who steals chickens to stage a chicken circus!

Tuesday 13 May:

– Unheard Voices exhibition opens today at Central Library featuring work created by Islington secondary school students working with Apples & Snakes artists Simon Mole, Charlie Dark and Inua Ellams. Open daily 13-31 May – Free entry.

Meanwhile… children and young people are taking part in a variety of literary activities with artists and writers throughout May – both in and outside school…

Poets in the Park – see The Garden Classroom working with primary schools to develop poetry about the living world – their artworks will be in parks across Islington throughout the month!Islington Community Theatre’s mysterious giant egg lands in the middle of two school playgrounds at Elizabeth Garrett Anderson and Islington Arts and Media School – and working with primary students to unravel it’s mystery! Little Angel Theatre bring an extraodinary healthy eating, science and puppetry project to primary schools – Rosy Gets the Plot adapted form the book by Katherine Quarmby.

Monday 12 May:

Cubitt Education brings Word2014 their annual Spring Ball at Islington Assembly Hall, 2-5pm. A tea dance with a difference, celebrating ‘Literary Nonsense’ inspired by Spike Milligan, Edward Lear and Lewis Carroll.

Free – Call Ellie Shipman to book your ticket 020 7278 8226

Plus… enjoy this week’s Free Word of the Week from our friends at Free Word Centre – remember to look out for the posters in sites around Islington!

Saturday 10 May:

There’s still time to check out the Book Wrapped trees at Highbury Fields!

Or search for Theatre Nuggets in Chicken Shops – hidden plays around the borough! Brought to you by Islington Community Theatre

Different generations come together at Arsenal FC’s Emirates Stadium for  the annual Word Festival – Granddads, Dads & Lads event! Poet Paul Lyalls, All Change and Arsenal in the Community mix a poetry workshop with a stadium tour! (SOLD OUT)

Whilst a little further north, Archway with Words Mini brings two creative writing events at The Kogan Academy, 12-5pm: Walk-Through-Creative-Writing-Workshop – a collaboration with Cath Drake; 7.30-10.30pm: Blossoming Writers – an evening of poetry, prose and plays. Click HERE for more information.

Friday 9 May:

10am-1pm @ Free Word Centre, All Change presents Inspire! – The Conversation A half-day event exploring the impact of using the arts and partnership working, in supporting teenage parents to achieve success. The Conversation is hosted by young parents with contributions from arts, youth, careers and health professionals, and will include creative activities; personal stories and case studies; plus opportunities to contribute to the conversation. The event is part of a programme of exhibitions, events and artists commissions to mark the 10th anniversary of the award-winning Inspire! young parents programme. Free – Book Here