The Lowry launches new annual creative writing competition for Greater Manchester children aged 8-11 years
- The Lowry Creative Writing Challenge aims to encourage creativity and confidence
- Judges include Samantha Giles, Emma Rogerson, Simon Stephens, Tony Walsh and Frank Cottrell-Boyce
The Lowry has launched an aspirational new annual writing competition for Greater Manchester children aged 8-11, aimed at helping them become more creative and confident.
The Lowry’s Creative Writing Challenge is open to children aged 8-11 (Key Stage 2) from across Salford and Greater Manchester and entries close on midday Friday 4th November.
Children can draw on all aspects of writing for performance, including poetry, spoken word, creative writing and scriptwriting. Find out how to enter at thelowry.com/get-creative/creative-writing-challenge/
Judges include writer and actress Samantha Giles, performance writer and spoken word activist Emma Rogerson, playwright Simon Stephens, poet Tony Walsh and screenwriter and children’s author Frank Cottrell-Boyce.
The Lowry’s Creative Writing Challenge will be delivered in partnership with the National Literacy Trust, an independent charity dedicated to raising literacy levels across the UK.
Mike Leyland, Programme Manager at the National Literacy Trust, said: “We are delighted to partner with The Lowry on the Creative Writing Challenge. We know from our own research that writing helps children to express themselves with 1 in 2 children saying they write to be creative. We hope this exciting competition will inspire children across Salford and Greater Manchester with their writing and reading, supporting them to develop the literacy skills they need to succeed in life.”
A celebration prize-giving event will be held on Wednesday 7th December in The Lowry’s Quays Theatre, with winning entries being performed on stage either by the children who wrote them, or by someone else on their behalf.
Prizes include:
- A chance to perform on The Lowry’s Quays Theatre Stage on 7 December 2022
- Up to £50 of book tokens
- A professional illustration of your creative writing for you to keep
- Tickets to a show at The Lowry for the winners and their friends or family
The competition has been made possible thanks to the generous support of Beryl Jones, who along with her husband Trevor is a Gold Patron of The Lowry.
Beryl said: “I am extremely excited for the launch of The Lowry’s first creative writing challenge for children of primary age, which will become part of the invaluable Learning & Engagement programme at the venue. The team at The Lowry have worked incredibly hard to help bring this concept – a dream of mine – to life so it is with eager anticipation and grateful thanks that I will await this new challenge to find future writing talent.”
One of the judges, Carnegie Medal winning children’s novelist Frank Cottrell-Boyce said: “If we’ve learnt one thing from the last few years it’s the importance of learning to be happy. The beginning of creativity is noticing things. The more things you notice the happier and more creative you become. So a creative writing competition is a great way to encourage real creativity – away from the demands of the curriculum. A great opportunity that writing and reading are fun!”
Related to the competition, a support scheme will be available to all primary schools across Salford, with five targeted schools receiving a package of wraparound activity including creative writing workshops delivered by a professional artist. The Lowry has also developed an extensive suite of free downloadable lesson plans for Years 3, 4, 5 and 6.
Jennifer Riding, Director of Learning & Engagement at The Lowry said: “We are so excited to launch the Creative Writing Challenge. Through this programme we will encourage children to read, write and perform stories, poems and plays and most importantly to embrace their creativity and imagination. It is important that we support creativity in schools, especially whilst children and teachers are under pressure to catch up. We can’t wait to read the entries and see some of them performed at The Lowry.”
The Lowry Creative Writing Challenge will build on the success of The Copley Prize, an annual art competition for primary aged children. Kindly supported by Alison and Noel Copley, the contest sees the winning piece of artwork displayed in The Lowry’s galleries alongside the work of LS Lowry.
For more information on the competition, visit thelowry.com/get-creative/creative-writing-challenge/