Africa Writes: Young Voices, our innovative creative writing workshop programme for schools, continues to spotlight the best writing from Africa and the diaspora for young audiences, whilst developing their creative voices.
Since 2017, the talented poets and facilitators from the Africa Writes community have shared their own work and their inspirations with our students in this programme, guiding them to develop some exceptional new writing. We continue to promote African literature and address cultural imbalances in the UK curriculum. In partnership with New Beacon Books, we have delivered around 200 brand new books from our education booklists into school libraries: we look forward to following their progress!
And we introduce brand new digital anthologies showcasing outstanding work by students on last year’s workshop programme!
Digital Anthologies
Malick Sidibe at Somerset House
Featuring Addey and Stanhope, Alexandra Park School, Central Foundation School for Girls, Phoenix Place, St Marylebone Bridge School
Parliament Hill School for Girls
2019 Showcase event
2019 Programme of school workshops
The Africa Writes: Young Voices programme is made possible by a dedicated team of poets, writers and facilitators who generously share their love of literature and encourage young people to find their voices. While returning to partner schools to deepen our engagement, we are delighted to welcome six new schools to the programme.
• African Women’s Playwrights Network brought contemporary women’s African theatre to Stoke Newington School
• Afrikult. explored Poetry and Performance with students at Addey and Stanhope School
• Joanna Brown mined the creative legacy of the Windrush generation with Prendergast Ladywell School
• Victoria Adukwei Bulley and pupils at Rushey Green Primary designed their own utopias
• Amina Jama and Rachel Long considered diaspora identity through hair, history and culture at UCL Academy
• Rachel Long and Theresa Lola returned to Phoenix Place to explore notions of self and identity inspired by Black British Photography
• Nick Makoha worked with students at Newman Catholic College and Cardinal Pole Catholic College to develop powerful stories in poetry
• Momtaza Mehri developed a multimedia showcase of diaspora poetry for Parliament Hill School for Girls
• Ruth Sutoyé returned to Dunraven School to spotlight Black British Poetry
• Keisha Thompson played with form and explored poetry and mathematics at Haggerston School.
Thanks & Acknolwedgements
We are very grateful to all the schools and cultural organisations that have participated in and supported the programme.
We are grateful to the programme funders Arts Council England, Miles Morland Foundation and Foyle Foundation.
