Calling all writing mentors, illustrators and story-makers! Fighting Words Belfast volunteers required ...
For a cross-community, cross-border creative writing project by Fighting Words Belfast and Fighting Words Dublin.
Crosswords is a programme of sustained engagement in creative writing and shared reading of poetry for children aged 9-10.
Five schools will take part in a series of workshops that will introduce them to pupils from other schools in Belfast and in Dublin.
Each group will write their own chapter of the Crosswords story, coming together to celebrate in June.
The first part of the project will bring P6 groups in for a standard Fighting Words Belfast creative writing workshop.
Participants will come up with ideas for an original story which they will begin together before writing their own individual endings.
The second phase will bring each group in for a second workshop, this time exploring the theme of 'JOURNEYS'.
The workhop will begin with shared reading, as participants are introduced to a selection of poetry.
They will then work together to write the beginning of a story before finishing it individually.
The third session will mix participants together to form new groups. Staying with the theme of 'JOURNEYS', the first group will write the opening chapter of a story.
Workshops will build upon the story with each group writing their own chapter.
Stage four will see the first four chapters of the story sent to Dublin, where the final chapter will be written by 4th Class of St George's National school. The story will then be sent back to Belfast for editing and printing.
The final stage will see Crosswords writers, teachers, parents and volunteers come together for a celebration event in Belfast. There will be story-making activities for all.
All stories and illustrations at each stage of the project will be published online.
Schools taking part include:
Nettlefield Primary School
Knocknagoney Primary School
St Patrick's Primary School
Seaview Primary School
St George's National School (Dublin)
Click here to find out more about when the workshops are taking place and if you are a volunteer sign up to take part.
