Inspiring creative voices– Winchester Poetry Festival and ArtfulScribe announce new education partnership.

Winchester Poetry Festival and ArtfulScribe are pleased to announce a new education partnership as part of the festival’s 2020 delivery programme.

Recognising a shared regional focus, complementary skills, and shared interest in developing and empowering young people as writers and creative decision-makers, Winchester Poetry Festival and ArtfulScribe have worked together to devise a new education programme, building on recent festival initiatives and with a view to enhancing the education offer over the next three years.

Supported by funding from Arts Council England, the education partnership will work with primary schools, secondary schools and sixth-form colleges to encourage a new generation to engage with poetry’s potential to surprise and delight through written and spoken word for both performance and print publication.

The education programme will engage with events such as National Poetry Day, World Poetry Day and World Book Day, as well as signposting participants towards national networks like the Poetry Society and competitions including Foyle Young Poet of the Year and Eric Gregory Awards. Outcomes from the education programme will be showcased at celebratory events as part of Winchester Poetry Festival’s broader festival programme.

ArtfulScribe director, Matt West, says: ‘This partnership and education programme builds on a legacy of projects aimed at young people and demonstrates our joint commitment to ensure young people in the region can access the art of poetry by introducing students to an inspiring range of poets and writing that is contemporary, relevant, exciting and inspiring. It’s a great pleasure to serve these emerging voices and to offer platforms that develop and celebrate new writing.

Stephen Boyce, Chair of Winchester Poetry Festival says: ‘Ensuring that young people across Hampshire have every opportunity to enjoy the richness and diversity of poetry – as readers, writers and performers – is an important part of the festival’s purpose. We’re delighted to be working with Artful Scribe pooling our expertise and networks to inspire the next generation of creative voices.’

The education programme commences in 2020 and continues until 2022, subject to on-going funding.

For more information, please email matt@artfulscribe.co.ukor call Matt West on 07588 719891; or contact Festival Manager, Madelaine Smith, at hello@winchesterpoetryfestival.org.

Notes to Editor:

Winchester Poetry Festival is a registered charity (1150997) established in 2013. The festival is a biennial event, with the next festival taking place 8-11 October 2020. The charity also promotes one-off events, an annual poetry competition and administers the Hampshire Poet programme in partnership with Hampshire Cultural Trust. www.winchesterpoetryfestival.org

ArtfulScribe is a writer development agency based in Southampton, working with partners including Mayflower Theatre, Lighthouse Poole, John Hansard Gallery, University of Southampton, Arts University Bournemouth and  others to raise the profile of writers and writing in the area through workshops, author talks, showcases, writer groups and publication opportunities. www.artfulscribe.co.uk