First Cuckoo commission on BasicFM

Last week our Newcastle cuckoo young writers group had their first commission, City Sounds, a poetry radio programme, broadcast on BasicFM. The programme, commissioned by Apples and Snakes, is a journey in sound down Newcastle’s Northumberland Street and features poems developed in a series of workshops with writer and producer John Challis. The young writers went out in the city to gather sounds which also featured in the final piece, along with original music by Field Music’s David Brewis. You can listen to City Sounds at https://soundcloud.com/applesandsnakes/homecooking-cuckoo-young

If you’ve listened to City Sounds and would like to get involved, we are now offering young writers the chance to work on the next stage of the project. In the coming weeks, a new group of young writers will be working with John Challis and digital artist Stevie Ronnie to make a poetry film about Newcastle, which will be shown in Tyneside Cinema in August. Workshops will take place on the following dates:

29 July, 11am-4pm: Poetry and film gathering with John Challis

31 August, 11am-4pm: Poetry and film construction with John Challis and Stevie Ronnie

5 August, 11am-1pm: Film editing with Stevie Ronnie

You don’t have to have taken part in the first part of the project to take part, you just need to be aged 15-19 and have an interest in writing and learning about filmmaking. Workshops are free to attend. To register or for more information, email [email protected].