New Term, New Notebook

We’re excited to start a new school year here at the Ministry, and over the coming weeks children and young people from seven schools in East London will start filling their new notebooks full of ideas. Our team of professional writers and volunteer writing mentors will work with these schools throughout the year helping to inspire a new generation of poets, novelists, speechwriters and comedy writers. Above all, providing young people with the confidence to tell their stories.

Waiting to be filled

Here’s a preview of what’s in-store:

Comedy Sketch Writing

Bishop Challoner Girls’ School in Shadwell will kick off the year with howls of laughter as we explore the elements of comedy sketch writing, from characters unsuited to their roles (The Emotional Police Officer and the Vegan Butcher to name some unlikely companions we met last year), to silly worlds. The term will end with a rehearsed reading of the sketches performed by professional actors and directed by our resident comedy writer, Gem Ahmet.

Poetry & Performance

Drumroll for our brand new writing club at Hanover Primary School in Islington, where we’ll start the year by exploring our identities and neighbourhoods through poetry, leading to a live performance. Young people from Morpeth School and Ben Jonson Primary School will also start the year with poetry. Here’s some they made last year with BBC History – a version of Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood set around Bethnal Green and Mile End.

Speak Up

Students at Swanlea School in Whitechapel and Bridge Academy in Hackney will be exploring personal politics and crafting speeches on issues that are important to them. They will deliver these speeches at the Houses of Parliament in December to their local MPs, Meg Hillier and Rushanara Ali, and an audience of activists in relevant fields. In collaboration with poet Keith Jarrett.

Eseosa speaks out in parliament

International Monsters

Students at St John the Baptist Primary School in Hackney will be exploring the secret world of Australasian monsters. In collaboration with our Hoxton-based community writing clubs, they will create the Australasian component of The Awfully Bad Guide to Monster Travel using poetry, short stories, and travel writing. They’ll work with illustrators to bring the monsters to life and the publication will be sold in our Hoxton Street Monster Supplies store for travelling monsters (and their bag carriers).

Want to get involved?

Teachers, find out how to set up a writing club with us, or visit the Ministry of Stories with your class.

Volunteers, sign up for a training, or if you’ve already done one, sign up for sessions in the calendar.

Young people, parents and carers, if your school is mentioned above or if you live in our catchment area, contact us about joining a free writing club.