Work from poetry workshops played an important feature at this years` LoveTheReans Festival in Wolverhampton.
Participants from 2 sets of poetry workshops - Man About Mondays at Gatis Community Space and the 1 in 3 Project (It`s our Right) - also based at Gatis Community Space - featured hugely over the course of the weekend.
Ian Henery, who was commissioned to lead the creative writing workshops, coached participants from the workshops to deliver talks and performances at Wildside Activity Centre, the Music and Poetry Jam at Newhampton Arts Centre and finally Gatis Community Space during the last day of the Festival.
Man About Mondays is a 15 week poetry workshop at Gatis Community Space designed at empowering men`s mental health. It`s completely free and has seen recent collaborations with the Good Shepherd and SUIT - Service User Involvement Team - in Wolverhampton for September`s Recovery Month at the Newhampton Arts Centre and Wolverhampton Art Gallery.
The 1 in 3 Project (It`s Our Right) is funded by Arts Council England and is focused on empowering survivors of domestic abuse and arriving at gender equality. The work produced will feature in a 3 day exhibition between 4th - 7th November in the Mander Centre in Wolverhampton.
Attendees described the festival as “supportive, well-organised” and “inspiring for families,” reflecting the festival's warm and inclusive atmosphere.
Reflecting on the festival, Trevelyan Wright, CEO of Newhampton Arts Centre, remarked, “We've had three days of events showing that Whitmore Reans is not just a place bursting with skilled and talented people, it's also a supportive and generous place when it comes to turning out and celebrating all of this local brilliance. A special thanks to Curiosity Productions, another local business, for pulling all this together so well.”
This event was made possible by funding from the West Midlands Combined Authority's and HM Government's Commonwealth Games Legacy Fund. The LoveTheReans Festival successfully demonstrated the creativity, talent, and unity of the Whitmore Reans community, leaving many eager for its return next year.
