SCHOOLS, communities AND YOUNG WRITERS

Spread the Word is committed to working with schools, communities and young writers.

Since 1995, we have placed a range of novelists and poets in schools, arts centres, community settings and libraries across London. We work with writers who have excellent skills in engaging with a range of people, including those for whom creative writing is a new experience.

Spread the Word reaches out to those who might not otherwise have the opportunity to engage in creative writing.

We target communities of people that are least likely to have access to a varied cultural life: We are responsive in our workshop programming to suit local and thematic needs and tastes. We develop our outreach work in partnership with agencies that know and understand specific audiences. We programme in partnership with libraries to build on their local intelligence. We are committed to worksforce development in the literature sector to enable more people to deliver high quality community practice. Through mentoring and apprenticing, we aim to build a larger pool of writers equipped to work in community and informal settings.

We are committed to establishing residencies that enable long-term partnership and engagement with hard to reach audiences. We understand that it takes time to make an impact and to build the trust of communities. We aim to place many of our workshops in the community, meeting people where they are. We recognise the contribution project participants have made by showcasing and sharing to celebrate their achievements. We work in schools to develop the skills of both staff and pupils, across and beyond the curriculum.

 

TOP LINKS AND PROJECTS

 

For more information about all our current and past Education projects, click the links to the left.