Commonword newsletters

Here is the March Commonword newsletter:

Events and Opportunities from Commonword March 2020 For updates: website www.cultureword.org.uk twitter @cultureword facebook (facebook.com/culturewordcommonword) Dear Commonword Writer, Welcome to the March newsletter! This month we bring you details of our 'Women of Commonword' photo shoot and archives exhibition launch, the return of Black Girls Get Together, our Trans Writes writing group, digital coding club updates and upcoming workshops. Happy reading! Commonword Women's Heritage Photoshoot & Archive Launch Friday 13th March 2020 2-4pm Central Library, St Peter's Square, Manchester M2 5PD As part of our International Women's Month celebrations, we'd like to find women who've been part of Commonword over the years (writers, staff, volunteers) and invite you to take part in a Women of Commonword photoshoot outside Central Library. This will form part of a launch event for our archives exhibition which attendees will be encouraged to visit. Refreshments will be provided. If you're interested in attending, please email heena@cultureword.org.uk. For further updates on the event, keep an eye on our social media. Black Girls Get Together 6.30-9.30pm Wednesday 25th March 2020 Chuck Gallery, 166 Plymouth Grove, Manchester M13 0AF Join us at Chuck Gallery for an evening of celebration of black girl magic. This is an opportunity to mingle, strike up conversations with new and familiar faces, dance and live your best life. During the evening, we will be hosting conversation corners for attendees to discuss the benefits of arts participation and practice for black women's wellbeing. We will also have a key note speech from phenomenal Manchester-based artist and performer, Chanje Kunda. Food and drink will be provided. This event is open to all. To RSVP and for more info, head over to our facebook event by clicking here. Trans Writes 6 consecutive Thursday evenings 6.30-8.30pm from 27/02/2020 to 02/04/2020 Weekly creative writing workshops for trans and non-binary folk run by award-winning non-binary writer Michelle Green. Free to take part. Email emma.underwood@lgbt.foundation to sign up. Ink, Sweat and Typos: The Making of a Manchester Writer a commonword archive exhibition  Manchester Central Library Exhibition Space February 1st - March 31st 2020 Join us at Central Library over the next two months to wander through some of the gems in our archives. Writing may be a solitary act, but people most often need development and support from a literary community if they are to become writers. Commonword Cultureword has a solid record in making this happen for people who get marginalised or ignored in mainstream literature and it has resulted in the telling of some remarkable and original stories. Images from the archive show what it takes to make a writer in Manchester. Check our facebook event page for further info and updates by clicking here. If you have any questions about the exhibition or our archives, please email heena@cultureword.org.uk POC Digital Lit Update from Pete The coding club continues to meet at Identity on last Wednesday of every month.  We’ve talked through individual adaptations of work into digital literature.  We are producing the Shots in the Dark crime short story collection as an online digital publication.  We are also looking at how the forthcoming Identity publication can happen digitally as well as in print. Elaine Okoro’s poetry is being produced in audio format so we can experiment with uploading them to digital platforms such as SoundCloud and YouTube.  We will be publishing the ground-breaking, John Siddique. His poetry collection: So: Collected poems: will emerge both as a  book and as a series of podcasts. We are keen to support any other writers wanting to take this digital audio route. I have been exploring Twine and have created a Twine literary game for R&D purposes.  We hope to forge ahead with creating Twitter stories, Instagram stories and even AMR whisper texts! Any queries, email pete@cultureword.org.uk Black Queer Book Club A new reading group for people who are both BAME and LGBT. March's book: Trumpet by Jackie Kay Meeting: 6.30 - 8.30pm, Thursday 26th March 2020 If you would like to attend, please email cheryl@cultureword.org.uk.  Join our Facebook group by clicking here. Visit our Virtual Bookshop! We have now launched our shiny, new online bookshop. Take a look around our virtual bookshop and maybe even treat yourself over at  culturewordbooks.org.uk 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. https://research.audiencesurveys.org/s.asp?k=155428576832 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 Black Queer Book Club The last Thursday of each month, 6.30-8.30pm at Commonword offices You must be both BAME and LGBT to attend. Open to all levels of ability. The book of the month will be listed in our Newsletter. Please ring buzzer 6 on arrival. Email charlotte@cultureword.org.uk for more details Identity Writers Group Every Wednesday 6.30-8.30pm at Commonword offices BAME/POC only Open to all levels of writers; just turn up. From experienced to beginners. Please ring buzzer 6. Email martin@cultureword.org.uk for more details EXTERNAL WORKSHOPS 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 www.facebook.com/mngmanchester Young Enigma A group for young LGBT+ writers. Contact Adam Lowe for further information info@youngenigma.com . Young Identity A group for under 25s who write poetry and spoken word. Contact Shirley May or Reece Williams on youngidentitymcr@gmail.com. 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