Commonword newsletter

With details of events, new young writers group, opportunities, superheroes of slam final and a call out for submissions, here is the latest Commonword newsletter:

Events and Opportunities from Commonword October 2017 For updates: website www.cultureword.org.uk twitter @cultureword facebook (facebook.com/culturewordcommonword) Dear Commonword Writer, Welcome to our October newsletter! This month we bring you details of our: the launch of our new young writers' group, Critical Inkers, the Superheroes of Slam finale in association with Manchester Literature Festival, Writer of the Month interview with Keisha Thompson, Young Enigma's call out for LGBT+ writers and, Young Identity events. Happy reading! New Young Writers Group - Critical Inkers First Session - Thursday 19 October 7pm Are you aged 16-25 and interested in writing arts reviews and features? Critical Inkers is a critics group for young people aged 16-25. Sessions will give writers an opportunity to discuss theatre, performance and literature. You'll be able to bring along extracts of your writing and, receive detailed, constructive feedback. The group will be facilitated by Charlotte Maxwell, who is the Editor of A Younger Theatre. Writers will have the opportunity to attend masterclasses with guest facilitators throughout the year. There will also be opportunities for online publication of your writing (A Younger Theatre and The Cultureword Review). The group will initially meet one Thursday per month, 7 – 9pm at Commonword offices. The group is free to attend but places are limited. For more information and to confirm your attendance, please email charlotte@cultureword.org.uk with a short bio, social media links and a few sentences about your goals and aspirations.  SUPERHEROES OF SLAM GRAND FINAL Thursday 12th October 2017, 7pm Three Minute Theatre, Oldham Street, Manchester, M1 1JG Book your tickets on the Manchester Literature Festival website. In the quest for the ultimate slam poet, Commonword presents Superheroes of Slam 2017 final. The Superheroes of Slam 2017 Final will take place on the 12th of October at Three Minute Theatre. This year finalists from Berlin (Germany), Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Leicester, Manchester, Newcastle, Rochdale and Sheffield will be battling it out for the title of Superheroes of Slam Champion 2017. Alongside the title, the winner of the slam final will receive £250 and an Arvon Course of their choice (subject to availability). Contestants have 3 minutes to rock or shock the mic and are judged by audience responses and guest judges. Previous winners of the slam include: Dominic Berry, Mark Mace Smith and Joy France. Heat Winners HEAT 1 Berlin - WINNER - Charlie Dupré HEAT 2 Leeds - WINNER - Kurt Wang HEAT 3 Rochdale - WINNER - Haamid Sharif HEAT 4 Leicester - WINNER - Jodie Hannis HEAT 5 Sheffield - WINNER - Jack Young HEAT 6 Manchester WINNER - Elise Hadgraft HEAT 7 Birmingham - WINNER - Shaun Hill HEAT 8 Bristol - WINNER - Melanie Branton HEAT 9 Newcastle - WINNER - Rosie Fleeshman For updates on the final, please follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.   Our October Writer of the Month: Keisha Thompson This month, Charlotte Maxwell interviewed Keisha Thompson about her new show, Man on the Moon, her work as a young people's producer and her upcoming poetry collection. Tell me about you, as an artist. How do you define art? What art do you make? (Nice easy start haha). I would predominantly say that I'm a writer and a performer. I use the broad term of performer because I have a varied background of dance, spoken word, theatre and singing. I would say that "art" is an instinct, concept, emotion or story that has been transformed into something tangible. Or I might say it is a creative attempt to communicate an idea to anyone willing to engage with it. At the moment, my art comes to me in the form of poetry, song and script. Your new play, Man on the Moon will be on at Contact next month. What inspired you to create this piece? How has the process of creating a play surrounding a personal subject been? I had been thinking about starting a project exploring fatherhood for a few years. It was at the back of my mind but I wasn't sure what form it was going to take. In addition to that, I found that I was writing about my dad without intent. Whenever I was writing I would make reference to him or my poems would pivot and drive towards him so I knew I needed to get something off my chest. Then by the power of serendipity I was commissioned by STUN to develop a new piece of work after presenting my first solo show there as a part of the Black Gold Arts Festival 2015. The process has been invaluable because it has pushed me to confront my relationship with my dad. I've made some beautiful discoveries and I was able to reach out to him and make some resolutions. The process has been emotional but "easy". I don't want the word to be misinterpreted to mean that things have gone swimmingly but I think I've been so open and I've worked with the most amazing people (Benji Reid, Garfield Allen, Lauren Banks) that the project has flowed from one point to the next. I've constantly allowed myself to be led by curiosity and honesty. Read the rest of her interview here. Young Enigma LGBT+ Chapbook Call Out The Superbia Chapbook Series   Deadline : 30 November 2017   Writers wanted! Young Enigma are launching a new chapbook series supported by Manchester Pride. The Superbia Chapbook Series will showcase new and emerging talent from Greater Manchester, while offering a unique opportunity to take part in Young Enigma's mentoring and writing development programme. Mark Fletcher, Chief Executive for Manchester Pride said: "Supporting young talent across all elements of the cultural spectrum is integral to our mission for Superbia. Publishing is an infamously difficult world to break into and this initiative with Young Enigma is a fantastic opportunity for young writers to have their work read and most importantly published and distributed via major channels. I am really pleased that we are able to support it with a Superbia Grant and can’t wait to see some brilliant young talent come forward to take this potentially life changing challenge." Three LGBT+ writers will be published as part of the project, with publication and a book launch supported by Manchester Pride's Superbia. Writers will receive 20 free copies of their chapbook, which will be distributed in print and ebook formats via major bookstores and online channels, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Inpress Books (the home of the best UK independent presses). The project is open to poetry, fiction, non-fiction and drama (up to 28 poems, 10,000 words of prose or about 30 minutes of script). Any writer who identifies as LGBT+, who lives or works in Greater Manchester, and is aged 18-35 may submit, provided you have not previously released a full-length, professionally published book. Submit your finished manuscript, along with a one-page synopsis and a short author bio to info@youngenigma.com with the subject SUPERBIA SUBMISSION. Manuscripts will be selected by Young Enigma coordinators Adam Lowe, Afshan D'Souza-Lodhi and Jane Bradley. Deadline for submissions is 30 November 2017   YOUNG IDENTITY  Upcoming Events Hatch, Contact, 18-21 October 2017 Join Manchester’s finest young spoken word performers, Young Identity as they perform their newest offering, Hatch at Contact. What does the eye see? What does the heart feel? What makes the blood boil and what stops us from sleeping at night? Eight of the most exciting and diverse young poets in Manchester rhapsodise on the spirit of the times – be it xenophobia, war, gender politics, inner city turmoil, poverty or the state of the arts. Expect lyrical whit, on the pulse social commentary and some of the most articulate voices the city has to offer. Book tickets here.  Audience Finder Survey As always, we ask that you complete our Audience Finder survey if you have attended events/workshops at, or run by, Commonword. We are very grateful for the time that is spent completing this survey and we love to hear from you. This feedback is important to us and helps us to ensure that we are doing a good job. The link directs you to Audience Finder, a tool which enables us to understand, compare, apply audience insights across the UK, and benchmark ourselves against other organisations. http://research.audiencesurveys.org/s.asp?k=148759217093 The results, of course, are all anonymous. Please forward this link to any of your friends and family who may have attended workshops or events with you. Many thanks, in advance Events from Commonword Writers   REFUGEE ARTIST HUB at CONTACT Tues 10 - Thurs 12 October 2017 // 5 -7pm At Contact Lounge, CONTACT, Oxford Rd, M15 6JA​ The Refugee Artist HUB is a free creative and informal opportunity for refugee artists in Manchester to meet and exchange ideas. Led by Mahboobeh Rajabi, digital artist and Manchester International Festival's Jerwood Creative Fellow 2017, the HUB marks the beginning of a new creative network for refugee artists in Manchester. For more information, click here. SUPERPOSITION BY CHANJE KUNDA at THE LOWRY Superposition will take you down a rabbit hole of physics: from the quantum world of the tiny to the expanses of the universe – via a lap dancing club. Dates Running: 26/10/2017 - 27/10/2017 Venue: The Aldridge Studio, The Lowry Ages: 15+ (contains some sexual content) Book tickets here.  SAY GOODBYE TO STAGE FRIGHT: PERFORMING YOUR WORK with AFSHAN D'SOUZA LODHI Our New Writing Coordinator, Afshan D'Souza Lodhi will be leading a workshop as part of The National Creative Writing Graduate Fair 2017. Book tickets to attend the fair here. Keep an eye out... We have an upcoming creative writing workshop with the LGBT Foundation, for LBT women. More details to follow. We'll soon be launching our Young Adult Fiction Writing Prize. Follow us on twitter for updates on the launch event and details of the Prize.  Critical Inkers One Thursday evening per month, 7-9pm at Commonword offices Under 26s Open to all levels of ability; just turn up. From experienced to beginners. Please ring buzzer 6. www.cultureword.org.uk or email charlotte@cultureword.org.uk for more details Identity Writers Group Every Wednesday 7-9pm at Commonword offices BAME only Open to all levels of writers; just turn up. From experienced to beginners. Please ring buzzer 6. www.cultureword.org.uk or email afshan@cultureword.org.uk for more details Monday Night Group Every Monday 7-9pm in the Snug at the Lass O'Gowrie Open to all levels of writers, for everyone; just turn up. From experienced to beginners www.mondaynightgroup.org.uk https://www.facebook.com/mngmanchester Young Enigma Monday evenings in October and November, 6.30 - 8.30pm. Open to all young LGBT+ identifying people (no strict restrictions on age). Visit www.youngenigma.com for more info and email info@youngenigma.com to register your interest Young Identity Open to all young people under 25 for spoken word poetry workshops. Young Identity HOME  7-9pm  Fortnightly, check HOME website for details.  Contact 6-8pm and 7-9pm  Longsight library 6-7:45pm email reece@cultureword.org.uk for more info about other workshops or visit www.youngidentity.org Do you ❤ Commonword? tweet/facebook/IG us with your favourite/first memory of Commonword. Send us a picture of yourself holding a I ❤ Commonword sign  #iLoveCommonword  You can catch us on Social Media twitter @cultureword #iLoveCommonword facebook.com/commonwordcultureword instagram @cultureword   Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter Website YouTube Commonword | Cultureword | Crocus Books Commonword No. 3 Planetree House 21-31 Oldham Street Manchester M1 1JG There is a buzzer for entry. The office number is 3, the workshop space number is 6. 0161 832 3777  enquiries@cultureword.org.uk

Commonword · No 3 Planetree House · 21-31 Oldham Street · Manchester, M1 1JG · United Kingdom