Proud Words

The idea for Proud Words came from Young Writers we had worked with through out Young Writers’ Groups. They told us that not enough was done in schools about LGBTQ+ issues and that they knew writing about gender and identity could have a huge impact for people who identified as LGBTQ+. The project then began in October 2016, when two Newcastle schools – Benfield and Heaton Manor – worked with us to set up LGBTQ+ reading and creative writing groups.

From visiting Durham Book Festival where they met award winner authors Juno Dawson and Lisa Williamson, to performing to a sold out audience at the opening event of Curious Festival 2017, young people got to experience lots of new activities and ideas. They met once a week in school with professional writers Lisa Williamson, Laura Lindow and Adam Lowe, to read YA, plays and poetry with LGBTQ+ themes and write their own work in response to it.

Our Proud Words Young Writers worked with New Writing North and writer Laura Lindow to create a resource pack so that anyone can facilitate a Proud Words project in their school. The pack includes creative writing activities, reading suggestions and other practical ideas about how to set up a Proud Words group. If you wish there was a Proud Words group in your school, let us know and we can send a pack to one of your teachers.