Thursday 7 June 2-4pm @ Sadler’s Wells: Join us for an afternoon of poetry, storytelling, dance and music with older people involved in Going Places – a programme of projects which sees artists working with older people in community, day and residential care settings. Featuring original work created by older people working with All Change artists Francesca Beard, Leticia Valverdes and Simon Mole.
Thursday 7 June, 10am-1pm @Sadler’s Wells – What role can museums and galleries play in improving mental health? Over the last year, heritage, arts and health organisations in Islington have been working with people affected by mental health on the Creative Conversations project. Part of Word festival’s series of Working Well events – come and find out more about this project and other inspiring stories at this cross-sector Open Space event with Islington Heritage Service, All Change, House of Illustration and London Canal Museum. Are you interested in how the heritage, arts and health sectors can work together to improve mental health outcomes? Join us for this special event where you can help shape the conversation.
Thursday 7 June 9.30-11am, Newington Green – Join The Garden Classroom for 4 Little Explorers sessions for under 5’s with their parents and carers. Discover together the wonders of wildlife, trees, bees, flowers & plants in your local greenspace in mornings full of outdoor fun, songs, stories, nature trails and natural art and crafts. Each week, our Little Green Library will be set up so you can enjoy nature books together to help grow a love of reading. A brilliant opportunity to meet local families, get outdoors & take away ideas for nature discovery. Meet outside The Garden Classroom, Newington Green Park Building, 2 Newington Green N1 4RF
Coming soon…more Little Explorers at Kings Square Garden, EC1. Check www.thegardenclassroom.org.uk for dates.
Wednesday 6 June, 2pm: Word Garden Official Launch event, King Square Gardens – Join members from St. Luke’s Community Centre and Islington’s Mayor for a special celebration to launch the new community Word Garden. The afternoon will include poetry and storytelling – and a chance to meet and hear from local older people, whose stories and memories have inspired the garden design.
This specially commissioned permanent garden is part of the Bunhill Ward Improvement Plan, with investment from S106 funding. The garden has been created with local older people working with All Change artist Carl Stevenson and poet Francesca Beard, and Islington Council Parks Service. The design features specially designed trellis work, a games table and benches customised with poetry, with a new planting scheme all inspired by stories and memories of the park and local area. It is a partnership between All Change, St. Luke’s Community Centre and Islington Council’s Library and Heritage Service, Arts Service and Parks Service.
Tuesday 5 June 6.30pm, Islington Museum: Local Action Against Apartheid – The fight against apartheid was international. People from all over the world joined the struggle, raising awareness, boycotting South African goods and campaigning against the atrocities committed by the apartheid regime. Local activists were a huge part of the movement and worked tirelessly to protest the South African apartheid government. Join us to hear local activists, including Lela Kogbara and Christabel Gurney discuss their anti-apartheid activism in London. Click here to book This is part of the ‘Fighting Apartheid in Islington‘ exhibition which tells the story of the anti-apartheid movement in Islington to mark 100 years since the birth of Nelson Mandela. Prior to the talk, please drop in to visit the anti-apartheid exhibition downstairs in Islington Museum, which will be open until 5:45. At Islington Museum until 19 June.
In partnership with the Anti-Apartheid Movement Archives and the Marx Memorial Library.
Tuesday 5 June 11am, Cat and Mouse Library: Meet Cookie MonStar – queen of comedy and improvisation who can rap and sing whilst doing a handstand! Cookie has entertained audiences worldwide with her comedy cabaret shows and was even awarded the accolade of “Forces Sweetheart” for her performances with the British Army. These performances are part of our regular Under Fives mornings.
Monday 4 June: 6-7.30pm at Central Library – City of Stories celebrates London’s writers, readers and libraries! Join leading writer Anita Belli and take part in free creative writing workshops. Participants will be able to enter the City of Stories short story competition. One story will be selected for the City of Stories publication, and all participants will be invited to the launch event later in the year! Click here to book .
Also happening today – Stereo/Type – as part of a unique collaboration commissioned for Word2018 between Lyrix Organix and House of Illustration – artists Joanna Layla and Sophia Thakur are working with young people to explore the visual language of poetry, UnFOLD style…this free poetry and illustration course – a spin-off of UNFOLD is an integrated programme of visual design / illustration and poetry / spoken word – a chance to explore both disciplines together and their impact on each other. Work will be shared as part of This is Private 7pm on 13 June at Free Word.
Bookstart Week – all Islington Libraries will be celebrating National Bookstart Week 2018 with especially themed story and rhyme times to encourage families to have fun reading together, anywhere and anytime. As well as stories in all our libraries marking the theme of “Bookstart Bird Boogie!”, you can get involved by joining in our craft activities. We’re giving away free copies of the featured book “A Busy Day for Birds” by Lucy Cousins to children who attend our under 5s events. For more information contact geoff.james@islington.gov.uk
London Creativity and Wellbeing Week – There is a growing body of evidence indicating the profound effect engagement in the arts and creativity can have on health and wellbeing. The arts bring us alive, nourish our curiosity, help us learn – they change the places in which we are treated – and make them places we might want to be, they can improve the relationship between clinician and patient, and they give us the courage to face our own frailties and strengths. With debates and discussions, performances and exhibitions, tours and practical sessions, London Creativity and Wellbeing Week is an opportunity to find out more, make connections, be inspired, and shape the future of arts, creativity and wellbeing.http://www.creativityandwellbeing.org.uk/
Broaden your lexical horizons during the festival and look out for these Free Words of the Week, just outside Free Word Centre. Take a picture and join the conversation online with #FreeWordOfTheWeek or go further by putting them on display where you work! Expect to stumble upon a unique new word each week, connected to the festival’s wellbeing themes. Head over to freewordcentre.com/free-words to find out more or sign up for weekly posters.
Saturday 2 June: A busy day of activities for all ages begins at 11am with our first…
Library2Library Walk – On this walk we’ll hear about Dick Whittington who turned again at Archway and became Mayor of London. There’s a stone that marks the place and he’s also remembered by a hospital, a pub and a park. Dick Whittington is also famous for his cat and there are a lot of them to spot as we walk from Archway to North Library. We’ll count them as we go. We’ll also find out about Archway’s link with the Houses of Parliament, some streets that have disappeared and how Islington commemorated World War 1, that ended a hundred years ago this year. Starting at Archway Library, Hamlyn House, Highgate Hill, N19 5PH, the walk will finish at the North Library, Manor Gardens, N7 6JX, in time for you to join the Islington Reads story-telling in the Royal Northern Gardens, opposite the Library 12.30pm-2.30pm. These walks are suitable for families. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Limited number of places on each walk so booking essential. To book visit www.ciga.org.uk
12-2pm Lyrical – A music writing project from All Change designed by young women for young women aged 16-25. Develop your songwriting and music production skills with Tony Nwachukwu and Fran Lobo. Create and perform your own original material. Work with professional artists, musicians and producers. If you like to sing, write lyrics or want to learn how – then this is the project for you! 27 Dingley Place, London EC1V 8BR
2.30pm Living Letters Join us for magical al fresco dance, poetry and music performance by young people featuring original work created for Word2018 as part of Candoco Dance Company’s Dancing Letters project and All Change’s Lyrical project for young women – Word Garden, Kings Square Gardens, Lever Street EC1
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