Join Northampton’s Week of Words at the world’s smallest arts centre

The Week of Words – dedicated to celebrating how words shape art, stories, community and connection – is set to launch at The Creative Place on Northampton Market Square and everyone is invited to participate.

Beginning on National Writing Day, Thursday 19^th June, The Creative Place will be issuing free creative writing packs, with prompts inspired by the Great Fire of Northampton, to get people writing. Designed originally for young people, they are now available to all and anyone can request a digital pack or collect a physical one. Once submitted, finished pieces may be included in Northampton Film Festival’s animated film about the Great Fire of Northampton, which will be screened on Northampton Market Square in September.

The Creative Place (TCP), considered one of the world’s smallest arts centres, will host a number of other events during the Week of Words, including:

Friday 20^th June:

A gathering of an array of local authors for a meet and greet with the public, including the Northants Authors collective 10am-12pm and author of the Grumpy Rosetta children’s books Juliet Timpson 1pm-5pm.

Saturday 21^st June:

1) A variety of free sessions on Reading, Writing and Performance designed for young people, including a session 1pm-2pm with poet, writer, speaker and workshop facilitator Abbi Jinks. Abbi believes we all have a story, we all have a voice and we all have a truth. And when we can really feel safe to share that and be seen and heard, then the magic can really begin! Reading activities will take place 10am – 12pm, then a creative writing session will be run by TCP volunteer and writer Ellen Page 12pm-1pm.

2) A special opportunity 3pm-5pm to become one of 10,000 voices recording on camera the final words of James Baldwin from his debate with William Buckley at the Cambridge Union in 1965 on race and violence, with Northamptonshire social enterprise Undiscovered Country. Script will be provided.

Tuesday 24^th June:

A day of Industry talks from local people working in word-related industries, from Film Scripts to Publishing and the Writing East Midlands development agency.

This includes sessions with:

• multi award-winning writer, filmmaker and storyteller Tony Klinger at 2pm, whose film career has included working as an Assistant Director on the classic British TV series ‘The Avengers’ and Director of ‘The Kids Are Alright’ a documentary about British rock band The Who. His books include the novels ‘The Butterfly Boy’, ‘Under God’s Table’ and his most recent publication ‘Who Knows, the Making of a Rock Movie’.
• Sophie Campbell of Writing East Midlands (WEM) and Beyond The Spectrum at 4pm. WEM is the literature development agency for the region and Beyond the Spectrum is a creative writing programme by and for autistic writers. Sophie will talk about the agency and programme, and is also happy to share her experience as a freelance writing group facilitator, co-chair of the WEM youth board, a zine maker and library volunteer.

Wednesday 25^th June:

A Mother Tongue Poetry day, in celebration of the many languages used in Northamptonshire, including Urdu from TCP volunteer Zanobia Ilyas-Turton and English by Alliouagana Pearl whose poetry is inspired by Caribbean life with more to be announced.

To request a creative writing pack or express an interest in any of the above, please email nncreativeplace@gmail.com or pop into The Creative Place on Northampton Market Square Tue-Sat 10am-5pm.

You can sign up to each event here to receive details as the schedule for each day is announced Events Schedule | Northampton Film Festival and The Creative Place