Phoenix school new literacy festival

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A month-long celebrating literature.

Phoenix High School has launched a new month-long festival celebrating literacy and literature.

Dare to Read, which began last Wednesday, will feature a programme of author visits, writing workshops and performances by pupils of their work – with some of their readings backed by the school’s music groups.

The festival is supported by the council’s arts team, the literature development agency Westwords and the Phoenix Neighbourhood Renewal Programme (PNRP) - which is using government regeneration money to fund more than 20 projects, including arts and sports activities, at the school.

The PNRP has been using government regeneration money to fund more than 20 projects, including arts and sporting activities; help for children with language and communication difficulties; a revamp of the school library; help for pupils transferring from primary school and peer mentoring schemes, where pupils support other pupils. Resources are also available to neighbouring primary schools and local people in the surrounding area.

Over the month, there will be a programme of activities, designed to inspire and encourage Phoenix students to spend more time reading and writing. Highlights of Dare to Read include:

· Wednesday, 8 September. Festival launch in the school library with a visit by Ghanaian performance poet, Nii Parkes, who will be writer-in-residence at the school during the festival.
· Visits by authors and performance poets: comedy poet Jude Simpson (22 Sep); south Indian novelist Preethi Nair (29 Sep); novelist and playwright Courttia Newland, who grew up in Shepherds Bush (1 Oct); a performance poet (name of guest to be confirmed) on 6 & 7 Oct (National Poetry Day is 7 Oct).
· Regular lunchtime storytelling sessions for pupils and book stall open each day.
· Desert Island Books poster campaign in the school, featuring favourite books of pupils and staff.
· Friday, 8 October - lunchtime performance day. Pupils performing the work they have developed with writer-in-residence Nii Parkes. Other pupils will provide musical backing for the readings.

Dare to Read coincides with National Poetry Day (7 October), National Children’s Book Week (4-10 October) and Black History Month (October).

The festival was the idea of Phoenix High’s full-time speech and language therapist, Carolina Puleston - whose post is funded by the PNRP, which also paid for a major refurbishment of the school library. The visits by writers have been organised by Philippa Berry, acting co-ordinator of the PNRP, and Steve Porter, project manager for Westwords.

Westwords is a literature development agency covering five boroughs, led by Hammersmith & Fulham. Steve has been working with the council’s arts team since the spring to develop community writing projects in collaboration with local and established writers.

Viv Bird, Phoenix High’s chair of governors and project director for literacy and social inclusion at the National Literacy Trust, said: “Dare to Read is an exciting way to raise the profile of literacy and literature in the school and encourage pupils to develop their reading and writing skills. We are delighted to be working with the council’s arts team and Westwords on this project.”

Cllr David Williams, deputy for education, said: “All the writers who are visiting Phoenix High share the determination and ability to make poetry and prose exciting and accessible to a diverse audience. This festival is putting reading and writing centre stage and is another example of how the Phoenix Neighbourhood Renewal Programme is improving the range of activities and learning experiences at the school. I am delighted that our arts team and Westwords have been able to work closely with the school to put together this outstanding programme of events.”

September 11, 2004