GRA Evaluation Report

An initiative of Bristol Cultural Development Partnership: www.bristolreads.com The Siege: The Great Reading Adventure 2005 Evaluation Report CONTENTS Introduction 5 Helen Dunmore on the Great Reading Adventure 7 Distributing the books 8 Publicising the project 9 Public response 10 Reading The Siege 13 Support material for readers of The Siege 16 The Great Reading Adventure and Bristol libraries 19 The Great Reading Adventure and educational activities 22 Bristol Evening Post and other media coverage 29 The Siege and bookshops 31 The Cities Under Siege Weekend 32 Reading groups 33 Supporters of the project 35 Budget 37 Conclusions and recommendations 38 Acknowledgements 39 Helen Dunmore with her editor, Juliet Annan, Andrew Kelly, director of Bristol Cultural Development Partnership, and the Lord Mayor, Cllr Simon Cook (Image by Martin Chainey) The Siege: The Great Reading Adventure 2005 Evaluation Report INTRODUCTION On Thursday 6 January 2005, Bristol’s third Great encourage the sharing of wartime reminiscences and family stories before they are lost forever. Reading Adventure was launched at Watershed Media At the launch, words of welcome and support were given by Andrew Centre with speeches, readings, animated film, lindy- Kelly, director of the BCDP and founder of the Great Reading hopping and the sounds of Artie Shaw. Adventure, Bristol’s Lord Mayor, Cllr Simon Cook, Nick Capaldi, director of Arts Council England South West, and Adrian Tinniswood, This annual initiative led by Bristol Cultural Development Partnership chair of the South West Heritage Lottery Fund committee. Helen (BCDP) seeks to bring communities together by encouraging everyone Dunmore, who has championed the project since 2003, spoke of how to read the same book at the same time. Its key objectives are: she had come to write The Siege and what she hoped readers would take from it. This was followed by a selection of readings from the • To promote Bristol as a centre for literature. novel by Kim Hicks and Mike Drew. They also read from Carrie’s War • To encourage debate and learning about Bristol. by Nina Bawden, one of the books being used by younger participants in the project, and accounts of the Bristol blitz. Aardman • To help develop standards of literacy. Animations’ War Story was shown. This is a stop-motion short film • To create new art inspired by literature. using sound excerpts from an interview with Bill Perry who had worked at the BAC aircraft factory in Filton during the war. The Following Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island in 2003 and John launch ended with a high-energy dance routine from Hoppin’ Mad, Wyndham’s The Day of the Triffids in 2004, the main book chosen for recreating the joyful spirit of the VE and VJ celebrations. 2005 was The Siege by Bristol-based author Helen Dunmore. The novel tells the poignant story of the suffering and survival of civilians Speaking on behalf of Bristol City Council, the Lord Mayor said: in wartime, focusing on the first terrible winter of the 300-day siege Like Leningrad Bristol was under siege in the Second World War. The Top Kim Hicks reading from The Siege of Leningrad in World War II. In addition to distributing thousands of fantastic Bristol Great Reading Adventure will mean that as well as (Image by Martin Chainey) copies of the novel to schools, colleges, libraries, the business having the shared pleasure of reading and talking about the same Above Graeme Puckett and Ann Peskett of community and members of the public, a readers’ guide, activity book, Bristolians will be able to learn about their past. Hoppin’ Mad (Image by Martin Chainey) packs and website were also made available to provide background material on Helen, the events at Leningrad and Bristol’s own wartime In the afternoon, he visited St George CE VC and Fair Furlong Primary experience. Helen has lived in Bristol for nearly 30 years and the schools to promote the reading of the 2005 children’s books: Carrie’s Great Reading Adventure formed part of a yearlong celebration of War and Helen Dunmore’s Tara’s Tree House, both of which feature Bristol creativity. 2005 also marks the 60th anniversary of the end of stories of evacuees. World War II so it was apt that the Great Reading Adventure chose a Bristol’s Evening Post is an essential partner in the project, providing book that allowed readers to reflect on the devastation and extensive news coverage of the events along with features and camaraderie of that period. Helen and the organisers were keen to letters on the issues raised. On the front cover of the paper’s launch 5 day edition was a photograph of an elderly doctor treating an Key findings emaciated child during the siege. Beside it were the words: • 4,500 copies of The Siege and 5,000 of the special readers’ guide This haunting photograph from a wartime siege in which one million were distributed free of charge along with 1,000 each of the people perished was the image city author Helen Dunmore chose to children’s books. illustrate the best-selling novel she hopes will encourage Bristol people to join the third Great Reading Adventure. • 2,839 requests for a copy of the book and/or guide were received from members of the public. This was potentially a more challenging book to promote in comparison with the fun and thrills of Stevenson’s pirates and • 65 education packs were distributed to schools and colleges. Wyndham’s triffids, but with the sensitive support of the Evening The Lord Mayor with pupils of Fair Furlong • Over 2,600 people borrowed The Siege from the Bristol library Primary School (Image by Martin Chainey) Post, it was possible to engage the Bristol public in the project and service from January to March. encourage them both to read The Siege and connect to their city’s past. • The daily archive photograph of Bristol in the blitz in the Evening Post is estimated to have been seen by around The 2005 Great Reading Adventure officially ended on 3 March 2005, 180,000 people a day. World Book Day, though the reading of the books and some of the activities continued. Reflecting on what had been achieved, Andrew • Most ages and all socio-economic groups participated in the Kelly said: project across the Bristol city-region. Each year the Great Reading Adventure gets better and better. It was • The project website had a total of 18,040 visits between January good to be able to work with a locally based author, one of our and March. leading writers of literary fiction, and the response from the Bristol • The project was the topic of local, regional and national media public has been magnificent. The book has struck a chord with all stories. ages, with especially emotional responses coming in from those who experienced Bristol under siege. • All those who expressed an opinion thought citywide reading projects were an excellent or good idea, and over 98 per cent This report summarises the findings from the evaluation of the would consider participating in future events. project. It combines statistical data collected by the organisers and their partners with qualitative feedback gathered from self-completed questionnaires, interviews and correspondence. Each Great Reading Adventure is distinctive and the project seems to go from strength to strength. What remains constant is the enthusiasm and commitment of the participants, and the quality of the reading experience. 6 The Siege: The Great Reading Adventure 2005 Evaluation Report HELEN DUNMORE ON THE GREAT READING ADVENTURE 2005 My overall impression is that this year’s Great Reading Bristol libraries and their staff have given a huge amount of support to the project. I know they have been encouraging readers who come Adventure was organised with great professionalism, into libraries to try the books, and to become involved in reading energy and effectiveness. groups, or to send off for a copy of the book or guide. Lots of people have commented to me about library displays of the Great Reading Although I had had some involvement with the Great Reading Adventure books, and how much they liked them. Adventure over the previous two years, I did not really know what to Readers seem to like the continuity of the Great Reading Adventure, expect this year. It was daunting, as well as very exciting, to realise and the fact that it develops from year to year and is very much a that thousands of people in my home city were going to read one of ‘Bristol’ thing. Several readers talked to me about previous books my novels and one of my children’s books. which had been chosen, or what might happen in years to come. This The readers’ guide was very important, I think, and a number of kind of sustained cultural opportunity appeals to a lot of people, and people commented to me that they had found it interesting as more readers seem to get drawn in each year. I like the idea of not background, and had liked the blend of text and images. This was the breaking links which have been formed with readers, but developing first time that the Great Reading Adventure team had worked with a them. living author, and so we were all experimenting. I had a long This is a personal reaction – there are aspects of the Great Reading interview with Melanie Kelly (who wrote the guide), and several email Adventure which I have missed out, such as the work in schools, but exchanges with her, and saw the text at draft stages. She took great this is only because I was not so much involved in them.

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