April Newsletter
April 2022 newsletter
Dear friends,
It’s that wonderful time of the year when everything is bursting into life with new shoots & buds, new hatchlings and new beginnings! We’ve certainly had a few new starts going on at Little Green Pig HQ, moving offices to join the amazing band of charities and voluntary groups based at Community Base in Brighton. We feel very much at home and in affinity with our neighbours who contribute so much to the city and beyond. Another refresh we’ve had is our website which is looking brighter and certainly more user friendly, so do take five minutes to navigate around and let us know your thoughts?!
As we edge into summer months, we’re thrilled to be dusting off the sandals and making daisy chains to channel the forthcoming festival season. Top of our list? Read on…..
Little Green Pig Young Writers Collective takeover weekend at Brighton Festival!
We’re beyond excited now we’re able to share the programme you can look forward to over the weekend of Saturday 21st May & Sunday 22nd May at The Riwaq stage on Hove Lawns. It’s a weekend that showcases our values to the full; to be open, be brave, be imaginative, to take pride and most importantly, have fun - through a bustling line-up of guest writers, poetry activities, live performances and workshops for children, young people aged 7 to 18 years old.
Our take-over days begin at 11am where you’ll likely be greeted by a Little Green Pig club member or one of our Youth Board who are helping with everything from stage management and ushering to ensuring you have a pencil to write with (essential!!). On Saturday, meet poet chef David Attree who will be training apprentice wordsmiths in the art of cooking up a poem on demand for you to take-away from the world’s first mobile poetry emporium. Author Emma Shevah shares her tips on developing characters and contexts in a Q&A hosted by aspiring young writers followed by an open mic session with scholar, activist and rising star of spoken word, AFLO.the poet.
On Sunday, it’s all about taking part and raising the voices of those aged 11 - 18. Birmingham’s former poet laureate Roy McFarlane invites young people to explore their personal folklore through a ‘Roots and Routes’ poetry workshop followed by an open mic session for participants to share their work on stage. The main event Amplified starts at 2.30pm, our third year hosting this incredibly special production at Brighton Festival that 2021 Guest Director Lemn Sissay described as “... my favourite of all the gigs at Brighton Festival, because I felt like I was looking at the future. Hearing the inner workings of the minds of these young people.” Coached by Little Green Pig trustees,Pete Lawson(Senior scriptwriter for Eastenders), Suhayla El-Bushra (Playwright and scriptwriter for Ackley Bridge) and guest host Kat Francois (spoken word and poetry slam champion) in the art of storytelling and public speaking, 8 young people share profound stories and experiences of what has made them who they are. Moving and life-affirming in equal measures, Amplified is a privilege to attend.
All events are free to attend and workshop places allocated on a first come, first serve basis. There are plenty of wrap-around activities for all ages and interests to enjoy, including joining the Letters to the Earth project where previous work by our club members has been beautifully printed onto banners with the help of East Side Print and you can contribute to the global campaign by writing your own Letter to the Earth to display. Bring a picnic, weather appropriate clothing and a brimming imagination; for full details, check the programme here.
Worthing, here we come!
We’re also very excited to be returning to The Laurels Primary School in Worthing to restart our After School Club in May led by writer Kate Morrison. Sessions will be running on Wednesday afternoons during term time, and we’re putting the call-out for volunteer story mentors to help support club members build their confidence and writing skills. If you’re interested or know someone who might be, do check out the volunteering page on our website for more information. For a taste of what you could look forward to, this short film chronicles our last project at The Laurels, a fantastic exploration of light and words with Kate and photographer Moose Azim.
With huge thanks to the Fonthill Foundation for making the club possible.
And more thank yous….
We’re greatly indebted to the Garfield Weston Trust for awarding us a grant in support of our core costs, providing not only critical funding toward our After School clubs but a great endorsement of our work.
Thank you also to Brighton Open Air Theatre for making free tickets available to Little Green Pig club members and their families over the Easter break who loved the shows Out of The Deep Blue and The Kiss that Missed. Made possible by Chalk Cliff Trust’s support for the Pay it Forward Scheme.