Many of the events listed on the main Festival Programme and running during the school day from Monday 2nd - Friday 6th July are free to attend. See each individual event for further details and book places as instructed in the listing.
should be purchased via the Quay Tickets box office by calling 0843 208 0500.
With the support of funding from Manchester Metropolitan University, we are able to offer discounted tickets for these events to Greater Manchester schools with Widening Participation cohorts. If you wish to book tickets and think that you may be eligible for discounted places, please email mcbfschools@mmu.ac.uk and, if you are on our list, we will allocate a WP promotional code that will allow you to book at a cost of £1.10 per ticket (including booking fee). The £1.10 tickets can be redeemed against book purchase on the day of the event. Please note we cannot pay for transport; schools must book their own. Please also note that event tickets, once purchased, are not refundable.
In the weeks and months leading up to the main programme we will also run a number of trailblazer events and projects, details of which will be communicated to schools and home educators via email.
Book Now for:
Free. First-come, first-served. Suitable for: pupils from years 4,5,6 (and 7 for schools wishing to use this as a transition event)
To book contact mcbfschools@mmu.ac.uk
Author Guy Bass who won the Blue Peter Book Award for ‘Most Fun Book With Pictures’ and has twice won the Portsmouth Book Award, is launching the latest in his ‘Stitch Head’ series. Guy’s hour-long, interactive show will be performed – with the assistance of Stitch Head – to an audience of KS2 (Years 4,5,and 6) pupils in Manchester Metropolitan University’s Geoffrey Manton building.
Guy has also written plays for both adults and children. He has previously been a theatre producer, illustrator, temp, gerbil whisperer and has acted his way out of several paper bags. The years he spent honing his 'funny voices' is finally put to good use recording his audio books. Guy lives in London with his wife and no dog - yet. To find out more about Guy and ‘Stitch Head’ see www.guybass.com Books will be on sale at the event and Guy will be happy to sign copies. You can buy your copy here.
Free. Suitable for years 4,5,6 children. Local primary schools will be invited by EMA. Anyone else interested in attending this after-school event should email mcbfschools@mmu.ac.uk
Watch out for:
Soon to be launched – ‘The Poetry of Art’: a brand new competition which encourages year 5,6,7,8&9 pupils to engage with the poetry of Carol Ann Duffy, John Agard, Grace Nichols and Philip Gross through the medium of art. Details soon to be posted on the competitions page.
Details of Adele Geras, Mary Hoffman, Sherry Ashworth and Ian McMillan’s school visits also soon tbc.
Not long after the Easter break a programme of school workshops featuring many authors we simply didn’t have space for in our main programme and also MMU student artists and writers offering creative workshops in poetry and art to support some of our competitions will be offered to schools.
Young writers aged between 14-16 from the North West will soon be invited to take part in the third Portico Library’s Young Writers mentoring programme. Details of this will appear on the competitions page shortly.
Workshops to promote the Mother Tongue / Other Tongue competition will shortly be offered to schools who have expressed an interest in this multi-lingual poetry competition. Sign up via the link on the competitions page to receive further details of this. Or see www.mtot.org.uk
The Manchester School of Art will shortly be distributing their ‘Exhibitors’ Packs’ for the ‘Out of Schools’ exhibition to schools from across Greater Manchester. Contact Clare Knox-Bentham on c.knox-bentham@mmu.ac.uk for details.
Sign up on the mailing list to be kept informed about these, and other opportunities as they arise.
See the competitions page for writing, poetry, language and art competitions that offer something for all age groups. See individual competitions for detail, including deadlines. Schools are also encouraged to take part in the online Reading Relay, which runs 2nd-6th July.