Swindon readers groups, writing groups, writing workshops, a mentoring programme, and a live literature showcase will all continue to benefit, thanks to a £36,258 grant from The Arts Council South West.

This grant acknowledges the great achievements made by the Artswords pilot project during the previous two years. Matt Holland, Literature Development Worker for Swindon Borough Council, said,"This is fantastic. Support of this kind from the Arts Council of England represents recognition of what has been achieved in literature development in Swindon. It also demonstrates that they have faith in greater things still to come in terms of writing, reading, live literature, and word-based activities in Swindon."

What's available?

The grant, awarded to help Artswords build on its success of recent years, will mean improved services and more development in the following areas:

• Providing continuous support to existing readers groups and launching new readers groups in various environments. We will be actively targetting readers from a range of backgrounds, including teenagers, workplace groups and bookshop/libraries.

• Continuing to celebrate key national reading dates and promotions, including World Book Day and National Poetry Day.

• Offering annual "readers day", bringing together readers, booksellers, library staff, publishers and writers to celebrate contemporary reading culture. We will deliver on-going promotional work in public libraries to help local people broaden and deepen their experience of reading.

• Working with existing writing groups and encouraging new people to join us, with a series of day or half-day writing workshops and longer-term writing projects.

• Providing a mentoring programme for writers, linked to support for artists through Artsmind and tailored to individual needs and aspirations, and development and publication of a guide for new writers.

• Developing a programme of live literature activities in a range of scales, with the provision of small-scale mentoring programme for promoters and performers.

• 2008 will see a live literature show-case to demonstrate the value and variety of live literature activities and the provision of mentoring and support for organisations and individuals interested in this work.

• Publishing a reading, writing and live literature newsletter, targeted at organisations and individuals and promoters and audiences/participants.

• Continuing to develop the Swindon Festival of Literature, including a plan for sustained growth, links with economic development and cultural tourism, raising more funding to enable audience development work to be carried out.

• Artswords will promote Swindon as a centre of arts activity, improving perception of the Borough regionally, nationally and internationally.

This three year programme for Literature in Swindon has been welcomed by Councillor Justin Tomlinson, lead member for Leisure, Recreation and Culture. He said, "This is a huge step forward for the development of literature in Swindon. The new programme will continue to make creative reading, writing activities and live literature widely available to all the local people of Swindon and ensure that literature development continues to play an important role in the future development of arts and culture in Swindon".

If you would like further details on any events listed above, or more general information, please contact:

Matt Holland

Lower Shaw Farm
Shaw
West Swindon
Wiltshire
SN5 5PJ

Telephone:01793 771080

email matt@lowershawfarm.co.uk.