New Writing North Young Writers Impact Report 2019–2020

“We raise each others’ spirits and we raise each others’ aspirations, we raise each other up” New Writing North’s work with young people is designed to build relationships.

To do this, we offer consistent, year-round creative writing provision, providing pastoral support and a listening ear as well as artistic development, so that we can support young people’s own creative ambitions. Systemic The programme is shaped by the young inequalities mean that we put more resources people we work with. Ruth Dewhirst Senior into engaging young people who have fewer Programme Manager (Participation & Young New Writing North Young Writers is our award-winning opportunities to get involved in culture. Our People) runs the programme supported by long-term approach means young people Programme Officers Sophie Crocker and programme for young people. We work with thousands of young become comfortable with artistic self- Sophie Hall-Luke. We are grateful to all people each year to identify and nurture talent, leadership skills and expression and develop a network of peers of our funding partners, and especially Arts creative habits. We promote wellbeing and develop confidence and and professionals that they can co-create and Council whose National Portfolio collaborate with. New Writing North has the funding enables us to employ the staff who peer connection. The programme runs week in week out, year-round, networks, resources and expertise to support make this work happen. and is free to access, providing a range of ways for young people young people in their own cultural journey, to get involved. whether that is accompanying them to attend The pandemic has disproportionately auditions for a film, investing in a mentor for affected young people. Their education has their novel writing, being a sounding board been disrupted, employment prospects are This report details the work undertaken by the NWN Young Writers when they want to set up their own rap and uncertain and the formation of social bonds spoken word event, or providing a space for compromised. With the support of our funding programme from September 2019 to August 2020. The programme them to express their thoughts and feelings. partners, we were able to migrate our was significantly disrupted in March 2020 with the arrival of the provision online during lockdown. This coronavirus pandemic, necessitating a shift to digital delivery. Our This report profiles the diverse and eclectic resulted in some new ways of working that we range of work created by NWN Young Writers. will continue, as well as bringing new young innovative digital programme ‘Writing from Home’ was supported by There are as many outcomes for young people into our network. However, we also a key funding partner for our work, The Kavli Trust. people from this work as there are young have an eye on recovery – when the people, and we have designed our approach pandemic eases, we recognise the role we based on our experience, and with flexibility have in supporting young people to express in mind, so that we can support those their hopes, fears and aspirations, to individual responses. Sometimes young encourage a sense of belonging no matter people tell us they feel much happier coming who they are, and to support them to lead to a creative writing group every Saturday to happy and fulfilled lives. work with other like-minded young people; others feel that they are able to develop their Anna Disley identity as an artist; a few go on to achieve Executive Director (Programme and Impact) success as artists, while others have New Writing North developed sufficient confidence to follow their ambitions into higher education or training. April 2021 New Writing North Young Writers 2019–20 at a glance

Delivered 114 Young Writers’ Group sessions in six North East locations on Invested in 15 individual young people to Saturdays, attended by 70 young people. develop their creative aspirations, through our These included sessions on podcasting, zines Talent Fund, Young Writers’ Awards, New and green-screen filmmaking Narratives of the North East and ongoing bespoke support Delivered a six-week online climate writing summer school for 57 young Launched a Discord server for young people, including self-guided workshops, writers to connect with each other and weekly Zoom sessions and guest writer receive feedback on their work videos. The course encouraged young people to get outside and explore the world around them through writing Produced over 40 creative outputs across our programmes including music videos, anthologies, audio dramas, animations, Created 30 Writing From Home self- songs, a narrative dance piece and an guided worksheets, supporting schools anti-racism resource for primary schools and young people to write remotely across a range of forms, topics and genres. They Received over £165,000 from trusts, have been downloaded over 850 times to Staged three productions: a hip-hopera at date and our Writing From Home video foundations and partners to deliver our Young Sage Gateshead created by young Writers programme. This includes the workshops have received 880 views people from the West End of Newcastle beginning of a grant of £99,000 over the Worked with over 1500 young people and performance showcases at BALTIC next three years from Youth Music across our programmes, introducing them Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead, to creative writing and developing their talent and the , , attended by over 400 audience members Delivered 307 classroom sessions in partner secondary schools for 990 young Worked with publishing partners including people, covering a wide variety of forms Faber & Faber and Harper Collins to provide including prose, poetry, songwriting, rap eye-opening work experience for young and scriptwriting people

Delivered 162 extra-curricular sessions in Trained six writers from under-represented secondary schools including creative writing, backgrounds to facilitate creative work with rap group, choir and songwriting young people through Inkubator, our new development programme Worked in-depth across 11 schools, six libraries and two community settings in Employed 50 writers and artists socio-economically disadvantaged areas of the North East Our approach Human-centred and place-based Targeted Work

There are a range of ways young people can respond to their interests. On almost every Central to our targeted provision is Young provision to reinforce the programme. For start their creative writing journey with us, and strand of our work we employ both a Writers’ City, taking place in four partner example, in Gateshead we have strong links that journey will look very different depending professional writer and a Project Producer; secondary schools serving some of the most with key primary schools who feed into our on their individual circumstances. Our this team work together to support and socio-economically disadvantaged Young Writers’ City secondaries, and ran a programmes are therefore designed to be develop the young people’s writing skills, communities in Newcastle, Sunderland and film-making programme for young people on human-centred, considering each young confidence and creative ambitions, as well as Gateshead. We embed ourselves in these a housing estate near the school. person’s needs and drivers and providing a their pastoral needs. Along with staff at NWN, schools over a number of years, introducing variety of different entry points through both they develop relationships with young people young people to creative writing in their The unity we have found Targeted and Open-Access provision. We over the long term, so that participants can classes and supporting them to develop their in Young Writers’ City feels also have a Talent Investment Fund, which progress to co-creating or leading their own talent or interest through a range of co-creative amazing, we look after each provides flexible support to individuals coming creative writing or cultural activity. extra-curricular and community-based through the programme including seed provision. Our partner schools are Excelsior other, we motivate each other, funding projects, mentoring, career To develop these long-term relationships, we in Newcastle, Academy 360 in we keep a look out for each development and training. take a place-based approach and much of Sunderland and Kingsmeadow Community our in-depth delivery takes place in Newcastle School and Grace College in Gateshead. other. If one of us struggles We believe it is important to get to know the (especially in the West End of the city), then the others step in and young people on our programmes and Gateshead and Sunderland. help us get back on our feet. I knew a few people but meeting other people and hearing other stories, you realise it’s not just you that has problems. Everybody has their own story and is on their own journey. It’s amazing what you can do when you realise you aren’t alone, you can create something. We raise each others’ spirits and we raise each others’ aspirations, we raise each We want to keep building interest and confidence in creative writing amongst young other up. people, offering consistent, year-round Young Writers’ City progression routes. We therefore build provision in our Young Writers’ City locations participant over a number of years, working with other local schools, community centres and youth Newcastle Open Access Provision In School

We have been embedded in (our Young Writers’ City school) for seven years. We worked with 210 young people in classroom sessions from September 2019-March 2020, covering script writing, poetry, prose writing and songwriting. Sessions took place during lesson time with Years 7-9 and Years 12-13. There were 45 extra-curricular sessions with 75 young people volunteering to attend both at lunchtime and after-school to further develop their talent and interest. In addition to our targeted work in Excelsior, we also ran smaller, bespoke projects with We developed some innovative new projects and in in school, including a narrative dance project Newcastle, and North Academy in to support 15 young people at risk of Seaton Burn. These involved 100 young We’ve done so many things that exclusion from mainstream lessons and an people and focused on both creative writing I never would have explored LGBTQ+ wellbeing club in consultation with and songwriting, providing additional without the group... through the the school welfare team. pathways into our work. group I’ve grown my love for writing. [But] it’s also a proper In addition to our targeted work, we run open access activity in our key communities in little community, being around BETHAN first met New Writing Newcastle, Gateshead and Sunderland. Our other people that love what you North through participating in Young Writers’ Groups meet weekly and are love and are supporting your free for anyone aged 12-19 to join. We have Young Writers’ City at Excelsior also set up open access provision in response writing and supporting you. It’s Academy. She began attending to demand from young people in our targeted a massive support network our Newcastle Young Writers’ programmes, for example our weekly Young Member of Cramlington Songwriters’ Group in Newcastle. Group in autumn 2019, and Young Writers’ Group subsequently won a commission In addition to our more intensive place-based activity, we also run weekly Young Writers’ to be one of our New Narratives Groups in South Shields, and in Cramlington for the North East young writers. and Amble in . We often run With mentoring from writer Lisette projects in local schools in these areas to introduce more young people to creative Auton, Bethan wrote a poem writing and to encourage them to continue about her local area, which was to engage outside of school. published by Durham Book Festival 2020.

Out of School On Stage Our Newcastle Young Writers’ Group met The highlight of 2019-20 was Stitched: a Hip- We didn’t really talk that much, we every Saturday morning from September In addition to our creative writing group, we Hopera. This project brought together ideas, started speaking to each other a 2019–March 2020 in Newcastle Central also run Newcastle Young Songwriters on words and music created by Young Writers’ Library. The group consistently had at least Wednesday nights with rapper, actor and City participants over the past four years, lot more during the performance, 15 young people attending each week and in songwriter Kema Kay. This was attended by crafted into a musical ‘hip-hopera’ with the help and we started speaking with each early 2020 our young writers were working 30 young people from September to March of Laura Lindow (writer/director) and Liz other a lot more and helping each on developing their own podcasts. 2020, with 15 regularly attending. Corney (musical director). Earlier in 2019, we took over 50 young people on a trip to other with lines outside of school. London’s West End to see Hamilton, providing When I do shows in school I inspiration for their own show! always feel empty afterwards, but The young people worked with Laura and Liz to craft a powerful tale of love, crime and the this time, the show finished but we pressures young people face especially in the were still together.

The environment is what I love, face of poverty, influenced by the experiences I am really proud of the work we when you are first getting into it of young people on the programme. After an have done. ‘Cos you know what, you are cautious about everything, intensive period of rehearsals, Stitched was staged at Sage Gateshead on 26 September everyone in this group, we are not thinking ‘am I good enough, am 2019 to an audience of over 200. The final I this, am I that’ but then you feed performance was a triumph! all the same but after rehearsals, off the confidence of the people We also began working with Denton we’d walk home on that (Tyne) Stitched was particularly impactful for the Youth & Community Project in summer around you. It makes you feel 16 cast members, who formed a real bond bridge with our heads held high, 2020 to explore their young people’s during the rehearsal process: like you can do it. experience of lockdown through the singing. Young songwriter medium of spoken-word. Cast member, Stitched

Talent Development

Following the success of Stitched, we made three music videos featuring songs from the production, working with filmmaker Adam Opie: Welcome to the West End, Squares of Light and Tell Me A Story. These were co-created with the young people, using their narrative ideas and have received 2500+ YouTube views to date. We hope to build on the legacy of Stitched by developing a new show at Excelsior following lockdown.

It’s a really great way to make new friends. The project has really allowed us, as a group, to express We had planned for another performance in Since then we have been working with the what’s going on with us in our March 2020 created with young people. The young women to produce an anti-racism Change event was devised by a group of schools’ resource which will be a mixture of world as young people and work young people who attend the after-school rap filmed and written content, helping schools to those things into the script. group at Excelsior and our Newcastle Young discuss racism and challenge areas in need Cast member, Stitched Songwriters group. They programmed the of change (e.g. non-diverse curriculums). event themselves, with all performances being I’m not sure where to begin with feedback their own original songs and spoken word from today! It was one of the most inspiring pieces. The 12 young people involved were days of my career! The four young ladies supported to take full ownership of the event, who arrived at school this morning were create and distribute marketing materials and nothing short of amazing... The poem, as I give peer feedback. Unfortunately this event am sure you will be aware, is so powerful had to be postponed due to the pandemic, to witness in person. However, the Q and A but we hope to support the young people to session where nine and 10-year olds relaunch the event once public openly discussed racist abuse with the performances are possible. girls was just amazing. What an amazing shift in popular culture for our children to We supported several young women including look up to young ladies such as Angelica, Tessy, Angelica, Shakira and Manaar, Manaar, Shakira and Tessy who have alumni of Young Writers’ City Excelsior, to such aspirations. For us today has been continue engaging with the programme. authentic, unique and brilliant. ALDAIR, one of our Stitched performers, Building on their work on the anti-racism poem Deputy Head, progressed from working with us on Young ‘Colour Blind’, the group visited St Bernadette’s St Bernadette’s Primary School, Writers’ City to joining Live Youth Theatre. Primary School in Wallsend in November Wallsend Aldair also participates in our Newcastle 2019 as part of Anti-Bullying Week, where Young Songwriters group on Wednesday they performed the poem and then led writing nights. and discussion workshops with the children. We also continue to support local young Miles Nelson, who we have supported with people as part of our Talent Fund investment mentoring and facilitation experience following [The grant] was utterly invaluable... programme: his longstanding involvement with Newcastle I sincerely doubt I would’ve written Young Writers. Miles gained experience delivering workshops with several of our the novel without it. I was working in Young Writers’ Groups prior to the lockdown. retail when I was offered the award. Miles was also successful in securing a My motivation and confidence were publishing deal for his debut novel with Elsewhen Press. completely in the toilet. I couldn’t afford to dedicate any time or money to writing, and I just wasn’t aware of any mentoring or funding opportunities which could help. The training and mentoring I received from New Writing North was Dani Watson, a previous attendee of our genuinely life-changing, both in Rhys Stone, an alumnus of our Young Young Writers programmes and Talent Fund Writers’ City Excelsior programme who, with recipient, won the TLC Free Read award in giving me space and time to do our support, successfully gained a main part the 2020 Northern Writers’ Awards. work, and experience which was in Ken Loach’s Sorry We Missed You. We invaluable in getting an office job in have continued to support Rhys since his debut film feature, with ongoing mentoring the creative industry (which, for me, support from producer Emily Wiseman. has been far more compatible with Rhys is currently developing ideas for a short film project as well auditioning; in August 2020 maintaining a writing practice than we supported him with an individual acting the physically and emotionally masterclass to prepare for a self-tape audition draining retail role I was in). with a major director. Mentoring and training really built up my confidence; reawakened my Since winning the Mathew Hale Award I have writing and how to easily plan my stories), and been showered with incredible opportunities Emma also gave me insight into the media passion for writing and gave me the from NWN. Previously I had a horrendous industry. I am excited to put all of the advice push I needed to finish and submit time with education and left school unsure on to good use in my future career! The sessions my work, and helped me discover what I wanted to do with my life. Now I have with Emma also progressed my confidence, found a passion for writing and film. I spent chatting about my past experiences and how much I enjoy facilitating. I my prize on four weeks of mentoring with hearing Emma’s words of encouragement Eliza Clark received a grant from the Talent really cannot overstate the impact Emma Hill which was an excellent decision. has helped me find a belief in myself that has Fund in 2018. In July 2020, she published her I have learnt valuable tips for my writing only recently appeared. debut novel Boy Parts with Influx Press, to the Talent Fund has on my life. (especially how to get into the routine of Jess de Beer, Matthew Hale Award 2020 critical acclaim. Eliza Clark, Talent Fund recipient Gateshead In School

In Grace College, we worked with 275 Years 7 to 9 in classroom sessions from September 2019-March 2020 and created a variety of outputs from punk songs to spoken word pieces! We also continued our work with the school’s Alternative Learning Centre, delivering weekly creative writing sessions for young people who have been excluded from mainstream classes. We ran 31 extra- curricular sessions with 20 young people attending, both at lunchtime and after-school. As a result of this work, six young people progressed to our Gateshead Young Writers In Kingsmeadow, we worked with 180 Years 7 Our Gateshead Young Writers’ programme out-of-school opportunities. and 8 in classroom sessions from September began in January 2019 with the support of the 2019–March 2020, alongside 31 extra- Kavli Trust. It is an ambitious programme curricular sessions, and supported 11 of creative activity for young people across students during their ‘Active Tuesdays’ Gateshead, involving programmes in enrichment time to develop Bronze Arts secondary schools, primary schools and Awards focused on creative writing. We also community settings. The first six months of the collaborated with ’s ‘Out programme saw Young Writers’ City in Grace of Bounds’ programme to deliver some one- College and Kingsmeadow Community off poetry workshops with celebrated poet School, transition projects with partner primary Malika Booker, and encouraged young schools, the start of our Gateshead Young people to enter the poetry competition In My Country, judged by Jackie Kay. We were Writers’ Group and a two-month bespoke I’ve not tried writing songs before. creative group for young people in care in delighted to discover in spring 2020 that a partnership with Gateshead Council. It was fun to try something new. Kingsmeadow pupil came third in the It was different to the everyday; to competition, while another was highly commended. This represents a real step- write a song about an important change in the school’s engagement with the thing. I’d want to write about arts, as well as being an amazing something important that happens achievement for the individual young people. that nobody talks about. I like Students enjoyed this experience writing because you can write and were very engaged and about something that happened enthusiastic. I think students to you and it can help you in real became increasingly more life. If you read a story it helps confident. They were proud of you understand things. what they achieved. Year 8 student Kingsmeadow teacher

Out of School On Stage

Projects from across Gateshead Young by the programme. There were also Writers and the wider NWN Young Writers performances from other young people network came together as part of our across the New Writing North Young Writers Inside/Outside event in January 2020. network. The event was attended by over 150 Marking the first year of the Gateshead Young people including students, teachers and Writers programme, Inside/Outside took place parents from our partner schools. at the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art on Gateshead Quayside and featured Over 50 children from Kelvin Grove Primary performances from students at Grace College School worked with animator Sheryl Jenkins and Kingsmeadow, local primary schools to create artwork for a music video to their Larkspur and Kelvin Grove, and our song Who You Really Are. A group of 15 Gateshead Young Writers’ Group, together children also rehearsed and performed the with screenings of the film outputs produced song Who is Who live with Calum Howard.

Our Gateshead Young Writers’ Group meets young people then starred in a film,This Place, in Gateshead Library on Saturdays in term- which was shot on the Beacon Lough estate. time. Between September 2019 and March 2020 we delivered 15 sessions attended by The film was submitted as part of Larkspur eight young people. House’s bid to receive funding for a new playground, as it represented the children’s Alongside this, we are developing embedded views on their current park. The funding bid relationships in the community. In October was successful, and the community were Thank you again for giving half-term 2019, we worked with 11 young awarded £25,000 to rebuild the local park. our children such a wonderful people aged 9–14 on the Beacon Lough Estate on a filmmaking and poetry project. We are continuing our relationships in the experience at The Baltic the Collaborating with the Larkspur House community by running an after-school club other week. The process and community hub, we worked with writer on Mondays at Larkspur House. Although event has broadened their Christina Castling to develop a poem about currently suspended, until March 2020 this the young people’s views of their estate – was attended by eight young people and horizons more that you can both the positive and the negative. The focused on songwriting. We hope to restart imagine. young people wrote, edited and recorded this club once restrictions allow alongside the poem. With filmmaker Adam Opie and a partnership with Larkspur Primary. teacher from Kelvin Grove with music composed by Calum Howard, the Primary School Sunderland Talent development In School

Eight Grace College sixth formers worked with artist staff and in 2020 we launched In our Young Writers’ City project at Academy Sunderland Music Hub) and Thornhill Claire Fenby from Harper Collins to learn Inkubator, our new professional 360, we worked with 136 young people in Academy. A participant from Thornhill about careers in publishing, as well as development programme for emerging artists Year 7 and Year 8 classroom sessions from Academy also progressed on to We Make designing marketing for our Inside/Outside from a diverse range of backgrounds who September 2019-March 2020. The young Culture’s Young Musician’s Project to develop event. Some of these students were due to want to work with young people. Our six people worked on a variety of creative forms their songwriting. Our partnership work led to visit Harper Collins to gain further insight into participants have been participating in online including protest performance art, spoken several additional opportunities at Sandhill the publishing industry; this was cancelled sessions with a range of experienced word and climate-inspired songwriting. View Academy in particular, including a talk due to the pandemic but we hope to facilitators, as well as learning more about and masterclass from writer Lisette Auton and reschedule when possible, as well as themselves as artists through reflection Students also benefitted from several the beginning of Proud Words, our LGBTQ+ pursuing other work experience opportunities activities. They are due to take up in-person bespoke sessions from writers: Jessica writing and reading programme, which we hope for young people across our programmes. placements across our programme once it is Andrews, the critically acclaimed author of to resume in-person once restrictions allow. safe to do so, and we hope they will progress Saltwater, delivered a session for pupils in In addition to supporting young people, we to professional facilitation roles with us as October 2019 focusing on the importance of It made us feel more comfortable are committed to developing our freelance well as other creative organisations in the people in Sunderland being able to tell their and confident about music North East. stories and be listened to, while Gulwali Passarlay spoke to Year 8s in November 2019 making. I’d not done anything like about the refugee experience. These that before and now I want to do SARAH WATSON, from Gateshead, sessions were attended by approximately 30 something outside of school. In received a Talent Fund bursary to work on young people. music I’ve got more confident and Zones, a semi-autobiographical play about homelessness, trauma and addiction. New better. It makes us feel actually Writing North paired Sarah with two mentors, good and better in myself. I feel playwright Carina Rodney and director and actor Ruth Johnson. With Live Theatre, we good about doing things in the co-commissioned a rehearsed reading of future. I feel as if we’re all a group Zones, which was staged at Durham Book now and when we were doing it I Festival in October 2019, directed by Joe Douglas. Sarah has gone on to write several was looking around and everyone stage plays; has received her first professional was enjoying it. I’ve not put my credit as a screenwriter for Curious Monkey’s 360 Films project; and was selected as a ideas forward before, but here We also ran 40 extra-curricular sessions with participant for BFI Network Film Hub North’s everyone was putting ideas 32 young people attending, as well as creative short script lab. writing and songwriting, these sessions forward and everyone liked them. I owe a lot to New Writing North for their included a new choir for pupils. The choir I’ve made new friends...we never support and guidance over the years. If it delivered several performances prior to used to talk but now we do. wasn’t for the encouragement I have received lockdown, including in-school assemblies and from them, I would never have submitted to Sunderland’s Search for a Star competition. Young Writers’ City anything. I think it’s because of their constant participant belief in my potential that I didn’t give up. I In addition to our targeted work in Academy have been given amazing opportunities to 360, we ran additional songwriting sessions work with incredible organisations. in (in partnership with On Stage

JESS first met New Writing North The highlight of the Sunderland programme this year was our Call to Action event, held in at Academy 360 and she has been January 2020. Hosted at the National Glass developing her musical skills with Centre, this event brought together us for a number of years. This has performances from young writers at Academy 360, Sandhill View Academy and Thornhill included performing at the Tall Academy, as well as our Sunderland and Ships celebration in 2018, winning South Shields Young Writers’ Groups. Many of the young people attending had never Sunderland Music Hub’s secondary visited the National Glass Centre before. The songwriting competition in 2019 event was attended by over 80 people and and participating in our online was a great success, especially as it was the first celebration event held for the songwriting opportunities in 2020. Sunderland programme. We also encouraged Jess to This event is the best thing I’ve attend We Make Culture’s Young ever done... I never get to do Musicians’ Project sessions to things like this. learn about producing. Thornhill participant

Out of School

Amazed at the wonderful opportunities that the young In September 2019 we began a new Sunderland Young Writers’ Group to support people have been involved in. cultural infrastructure within the city and Clearly building confidence as provide pathways from our school work. Since working digitally the group has grown well as creativity – just amazing! in size and we’re looking forward to returning Call to Action parent in person when possible. DIGITAL Future Plans Writing from Home

Since March 2020, all our groups have been Our consistent and relationship-based suspended and unable to meet in person due provision means we have ongoing dialogue to the coronavirus pandemic. We responded with young people across communities. We to this by innovating digitally. respond to their needs and interests, working with them to devise new programmes. We commissioned resources from writers who were meant to be delivering on our school and The programmes we have planned as a community programmes, as we felt it was result of this dialogue are: important to continue providing creative practitioners with work where we could. The Proud Words, a reading and writing workshops covered a wide range of topics, programme which uses books and styles and genres and were designed to be Alongside the Writing From Home workshops responsive writing to explore LGBTQ+ issues accessible to individual young people as we also posted regular writing prompts on in partner schools. well as being resources that teachers social media, and commissioned Writing could use to support remote learning. From Home workshop videos from our regular Balance the Books, an initiative aimed at Young Writers’ Group Leaders, covering diversifying the books available in socio- Thank you so much. These topics from mindfulness to rap. economically disadvantaged schools, and workshops are perfect for our events and resources encouraging reading We ran an online Summer School called in and out of school amongst young people. GCSE students (and KS3) at the Write Outside which had a climate theme, moment as we try to adjust to a and migrated our Saturday Young Writers’ Well Read, a programme in schools using school with fewer than 10 pupils Group online. reading and writing to support wellbeing and mental health. and 1500 of them at home. NWN It is just really uplifting for him to Community based initiatives is definitely on the ‘Hero’ list! be part of a group and feel like he A Young Creatives group for 18–25 year , especially in the West End of Newcastle and Gateshead, Teacher at the beginning of olds, aimed at NWN Young Writers’ Alumni might meet some kindred spirits. who have aged out of our young writers to reach more young people outside of school. lockdown The plan was that he was going provision but are still seeking support to Developing our place-based, in-depth to watch and see how it was but develop their cultural engagement, considering further education and career opportunities. provision in County Durham to run he ended up joining in quite a alongside Durham Book Festival. bit. I can’t tell you how good that Programming more young person-led feels. These are long and lonely festivals and events, supporting our young weeks at home right now… people to engage with each other across Really appreciate everything communities and come together to share in their work. This will be a key part of the you and the team are doing. provision in NWN’s new Centre for Writing, Parent of young person Reading and Publishing, which will have spaces dedicated to our Young Writers attending the Zoom Young programme, over which young people will Writers’ Group take a leadership role. Our Writers and Artists

Jade Blood Christina Castling (Zine-making, Cramlington Young Writers) (Poetry, Gateshead Young Writers) Jennie Brewis Kara Chin (Producer, Young Writers’ City Sunderland and (Animation, Gateshead Young Writers, Benfield School; Songwriting, online sessions) Write Outside) Lucie Brownlee Kayo Chingonyi (Life writing, Young Writers’ City Sunderland; (Poetry, Gateshead Young Writers) Audio drama, Gateshead Young Writers; Rue Collinge ZOE MURTAGH Fiction, Write Outside) (Creative writing, Cramlington Young Writers) Malika Booker Liz Corney I’ve been privileged enough to (Poetry, Gateshead Young Writers) (Songwriting, Young Writers’ City Newcastle, work on a range of projects with Danielle Burn Kenton School and ) New Writing North Young Writers, (Creative writing, Cramlington Young Writers) Tess Denman-Cleaver Lisa Burns (Mentoring, Talent Fund) and it’s always an inspiring and (Creative writing, Young Writers Groups) vibrant experience. I LOVE the diversity of the projects we have LUCIE BROWNLEE had the freedom to create and Working on the Young Writers’ have been so proud of the poems, programme is undoubtedly songs, short stories and zines that a highlight of my writing life. have come out of the sessions. It’s Supporting the young people brilliant to engage with a diverse as they explore themselves range of young people in a wide and their capabilities through range of school and leisure writing is a rare privilege, and Jessica Andrews environments. It offers great (Social action, Young Writers’ City Sunderland; I have witnessed first-hand its learning opportunities for me as a Creative writing, Write Outside) transformative powers – young practitioner; my practice is Sian Armstrong people who say they ‘can’t write’ (Creative writing, South Shields Young Writers) playfully challenged, deepened Heather Askwith going on to produce striking and improved by the young (Creative writing, South Shields Young Writers) poetry and prose. But it’s not Lisette Auton just about the end result. Their writers. (Poetry, Gateshead Young Writers; Social action, Sandhill View Academy and Young confidence and pride grows Writers City Newcastle; Mentoring, Talent each week as they see what Fund) Bob Beagrie they are able to produce and (Poetry, Gateshead Young Writers, Young this is where the true strength of Writers’ City Newcastle and Write Outside) the programme lies. Kema Kay (Rap and songwriting, Young Writers’ City Newcastle and Newcastle Young Songwriters) Nick Lewis (Music production, Newcastle Young Songwriters) Laura Lindow (Playwright, Young Writers’ City Newcastle) Ashleigh Lowes (Songwriting, Sandhill View Academy and Thornhill Academy) Alicia Meehan (Choreography, Young Writers’ City Newcastle) Jordan Miller (Songwriting and music production, Young Becci Sharrock KEMA KAY Writers’ City Sunderland and bespoke school (Producer, Gateshead Young Writers) projects) Working on the Young Writers Mim Skinner Zoe Murtagh (Mentoring, Talent Fund) programme has been amazing! (Poetry, Gateshead Young Writers; Drama Sam Slatcher I’ve learnt so much by delivering and prose, Young Writers’ City; Creative (Songwriting, Gateshead Young Writers) writing, Newcastle Young Writers) sessions and it’s helped me David Smith Okechukwu Nzelu (Songwriting, Sandhill View Academy) develop skills I didn’t have (Narrative planning, Write Outside) Melody Sproates before. It’s also shown me a Adam Opie (Comic books, Write Outside) (Filmmaking, Young Writers’ City Newcastle, different way of approaching my J.G. Tansley Gateshead Young Writers) (Creative writing, Sunderland Young Writers) own creative process. Gulwali Passarlay Sarah Tarbit (Social action, Young Writers’ City Newcastle (Creative writing, Amble Young Writers) and Sunderland) James Varney Louise Powell (Visual poetry, Write Outside) (Dramatic monologues, Write Outside) Lauren Vevers Kay Greyson Martin Heslop Phoebe Power (Creative writing, Gateshead Young Writers) (Songwriting, Newcastle Young Songwriters; (Sound production, Gateshead Young Writers) (Poetry, Write Outside) Spoken word, Denton Youth and Community Calum Howard Matt Weslowski Project) (Songwriting, Gateshead Young Writers) (Dark fiction, Benfield School) Bridget Hamilton Ziad Jabroo James Whitman (Producer, Young Writers’ City Newcastle; (Songwriting, Gateshead Young Writers) (Choose Your Own Adventure, Gateshead Podcasting, Newcastle Young Songwriters) Sheryl Jenkins Young Writers) Phil Harrison (Animation, Gateshead Young Writers and Emily Wiseman (Acting, Amble Young Writers) South Shields Young Writers) (Producer, Young Writers’ City Newcastle) Skye Hawkins Ruth Mary Johnson (Spoken word, Young Writers’ City Sunderland) (Playwright, Write Outside) We are hugely grateful to all our funding partners