Little Green Pig's Young Writers Takeover at
Brighton Festival 2022
Saturday 21st May and Sunday 22nd of May 2022
11am-5pm
Free, no booking required
Wheelchair accessible venue
Outdoors at The Riwaq, Hove Seafront (next to King Alfred's Leisure Centre)
Play with words, create powerful poetry, challenge your imagination, and hear young people’s voices amplified. A weekend celebrating the creativity, imagination and hopes of local children and young people through workshops, performances and writing activities.
We are so excited to be working in collaboration with Brighton Festival at their beautiful pop up venue The Riwaq! From a poetry take-away, live spoken word performances, and even a treasure hunt, we welcome you to a weekend of creativity.
You can contact us for more information or sign up to be part of our Saturday Open Mic via
Email: info@littlegreenpig.org.uk
Phone: 01273 234 776
Text: 07762 942 928
All other workshops/events you do not need to book a ticket for. Just turn up on the day and bring along a rug to sit on/picnic to enjoy if you like too!
See the full programme of events below:
Saturday 21st May:
3pm - 5pm Little Green Pig’s Open Mic (Mixed ages, see below for timings)
11am - 5pm Letters To The Earth (Open to all ages)
Sunday 22nd May
Saturday 21st May:
11am - 12pm The Poetry Takeaway:
The Poetry Takeaway: A free workshop with up to 20 spaces, first come, first serve | Age: 8 to 13 year olds
Children are invited to take part in a workshop, led by experienced poets, to become ‘Poet Chefs’ for a day! Poets including Brighton’s David Attree will train up children to then take their turn taking over The Poetry Takeaway - the world’s first mobile poetry emporium! Once trained up after the workshop, children will take turns to cook up words and freshly written poems for visitors!
12pm-3pm The Poetry Takeaway:
The Poetry Takeaway: The World’s First Mobile Poetry Emporium:
12pm-3pm drop in between these times. Free Interactive, participatory activity open to all ages.
Visit the World’s first mobile poetry emporium and take away unique poems written to order! The Poetry Takeaway will be staffed by freshly trained young poet chefs aged 8 to 13, alongside local adult poets such as David Attree. Our talented team of poet chefs will carefully craft a free personalised poem for you, perform it and wrap it up to takeaway.
1pm-2pm Ask an Author:
Ask an Author: Emma Shevah on The Riwaq stage | Ages 7+
Ever wondered how authors build their worlds? How do writers create characters and dream up with their unique stories? Children and young people are invited to interview Brighton-based author Emma Shevah as she shares secrets and tips on how she creates her books. Emma has written six books for Chicken House and Bloomsbury which include eco-adventure How to Save the World with a Chicken and an Egg, Dream On Amber and Dara Palmer’s Major Drama.
This lively discussion event will be hosted by young people from Little Green Pig’s Youth Board and the audience will have the chance to ask questions. A fantastic event for children curious how to become the authors of the future!
3-5pm Little Green Pig’s Open Mic
Little Green Pig’s Open Mic hosted by AFLO. the poet
3-5pm | Free | on The Riwaq stage | All Ages
3–3.45pm: Open Mic for ages 7–11 year olds
4pm–5pm: Open Mic for ages 11–18 year olds
Calling all young people with something to share! Whether poetry, spoken word, comedy or something else, Little Green Pig present an open mic opportunity for anyone aged 7–18 who wants to perform on The Riwaq’s seafront stage to a Brighton Festival audience. We invite you to be brave, take pride and take to the mic! Little Green Pig’s mentors and our host AFLO. the poet will be cheering you on. Everyone is invited to come and join the audience to hear children and young people perform.
Performers can sign up on the day from 2pm or email info@littlegreenpig.org.uk to reserve a spot in advance and register too.
11am-5pm:
Letters to the Earth: Artwork and writing on display
What would you write in a letter to the Earth? What would you say in a postcard to the moon or a note to the ocean? Children aged 7 to 11 from across Little Green Pig’s after school clubs have written poetic and powerful messages to the planet. Their letters have joined thousands of Letters to the Earth written across the globe, from indigenous community activists to famous artists. Come and read what these young writers from Whitehawk, Moulsecoomb and central Brighton have to say about the climate and nature emergency. The letters have been beautifully printed and illustrated by the children onto banners decorating The Riwaq, with support from artists from East Side Print, and funded thanks to East Brighton Trust at Sussex Community Foundation.
Sunday 22nd May
11.30am - 12.30pm:
Roots and Routes with Roy McFarlane.
11.30am–12.30pm | Free | Ages 11–18 | First come, first served
In a moment where images and stories are pumped into our veins 24/7, how do we make sense who we are? What are our stories, the route and roots of who we are? Former Poet Laureate Roy McFarlane invites young people aged 11–18 to join a joyful and fun writing workshop to find ways to express how we’re feeling and capture the moments around us. Using myths, folk tales and local stories, we’ll unlock our imaginations and own individuals stories.
12.30-1pm:
Roots and Routes: Poetry Performance on stage
12.30-1pm | Free | on The Riwaq stage | All Ages
Young people who have taken part in a workshop share the poetry and short stories they have freshly created, inspired by themes of folk tales and identity. Join the audience to hear what they have been writing and support them as they take to the mic to share.
Whether you’re a first timer or you love performing, we’ll give you the tools and the confidence to read off the page on the stage. Discover the “5 P’s of Performing”: Pause, Presence, Pace, Practice & Perform. Hosted by Birmingham's former Poet Laureate Roy McFarlane.
2.30pm-3.30pm:
Amplified
2.30pm - 3.30pm | Live on The Riwaq stage | Free | Ages 7+
A personal expression of creativity and confidence from young people in the local area. Following intensive workshops and mentoring with professional writers, a group of young people aged 13–20 from diverse backgrounds in Brighton and Hove will take to the stage to share their own unique and deeply personal stories from overcoming challenges to sharing their hopes and dreams for the future. Discover what this unique group of young people are brave enough to say. Hosted by Kat Francois. Amplified is made possible thanks to funding from the Sussex Learning Network as part of the Office for Students Uni Connect Programme.
3.30pm-5pm:
Young Writers Collective: Takeover Closing Celebration
Following Amplified, join us to celebrate the Little Green Pig and Young Writers Collective Takeover Weekend at our closing party. Everyone is welcome to enjoy some tunes and relax at The Riwaq with music played by local young DJs. Featuring Brighton DJs OffTheCuff (X-CITE), Erin James (Platform B) and DJ Cool playing an eclectic mix of house, garage, reggae, pop, world music and Afrobeat to end the weekend on a high!
11am - 5pm:
Letters to the Earth: Artwork and Letters on display
What would you write in a letter to the Earth? What would you say in a postcard to the moon or a note to the ocean? Children aged 7 to 11 from across Little Green Pig’s after school clubs have written poetic and powerful messages to the planet. Their letters have joined thousands of Letters to the Earth written across the globe, from indigenous community activists to famous artists. Come and read what these young writers from Whitehawk, Moulsecoomb and central Brighton have to say about the climate and nature emergency. The letters have been beautifully printed and illustrated by the children onto banners decorating The Riwaq, with support from artists from East Side Print, and funded thanks to East Brighton Trust at Sussex Community Foundation.
