Creative writing links
Poetry links 

www.artscape.org.uk
Artscape is an online national directory that lists artists, how to contact them and what kind of work they undertake. It is a useful source of information on writers and poets who are available for education work, although it covers many artforms, including photograpy and digital imaging, theatre, music, dance and visual arts. 

www.artsandlibraries.org.uk
The Arts and libraries website focuses on encouraging libraries and arts organisations to work more closely in partnership, for example, on audience development, marketing, provision of venues and information support. It is based on the work of the Books Connect project in the East Midlands.

Arts Council England
Arts Council England works to develop, sustain and promote the arts in England and can provide information on current programmes and sources of funding. Regional offices run funding programmes for the arts in each region - see website for contact details. 
Contact: 14 Great Peter Street, London SW1P 2NQ. Tel: 0845 300 6200.
Website: www.artscouncil.org.uk

Arts Council of Northern Ireland 
Contact: Arts Council for Northern Ireland, MacNeice House, 77 Malone Road, Belfast BT9 6AQ. Tel: 028 9038 5200. Fax: 028 9066 1715. Email: publicaffairs@artscouncil-ni.org.
Website: www.artscouncil-ni.org.

Arts Council, Republic of Ireland
Contact: The Arts Council, 70 Merrion Square, Dublin 2, Republic of Ireland. Tel: 353 1 618 0200. Website: www.artscouncil.ie. 

Arts Council of Scotland 
Contact: Scottish Arts Council, 12 Manor Place, Edinburgh EH3 7DD. Tel: 0131 226 6051.
Website: www.scottisharts.org.uk

Arts Council of Wales 
Contact: Arts Council of Wales, Holst House, 9 Museum Place, Cardiff CF1 3NX. Tel: 029 2039 4711. Fax: 029 2022 1447. Website: www.artswales.org.uk

The Arts Dyslexia Trust 
Membership organisation that helps dyslexic individuals to develop and promote their artistic skills. A free help and advice service provides guidance on choosing the right school, college or university course; preparing a portfolio of work for job interview or art college entrance; completing a dissertation or other set writing task; and where to find help for other problems related to dyslexia.
Contact: Susan Parkinson, The Arts Dyslexia Trust, Lodge Cottage, Brabourne Lees, Ashford, Kent TN25 6QZ. Tel/Fax: 01303 813221. Website: http://artsdyslexiatrust.org/

www.britishcouncil.org
The British Council's literature department website, provides information including online publications and directories, a comprehensive list of literature festivals, a database of contemporary British writers, and information about literature courses in the UK.

British Film Institute (BFI)
The BFI was founded in 1933 to foster the development of film, television and video in the UK and to enhance public access to and appreciation of these media. The website lists activities, resources and services that are directly relevant for teaching and learning about the moving image.
Contact: British Film Institute, 21 Stephen Street, London W1P 2LN. Tel: 020 7255 1444. Fax: 020 7436 7950 Website: www.bfi.org.uk/education/

Bounce Theatre Company
A community interest theatre company who run a number of literacy projects including " Bounce Books". The project aims to promote children's creativity, confidence and love of stories as they use drama to explore characters, themes and context appropriate to their age and in line with the National Literacy strategy guidelines.
Tel: 020 8977 4766, email:info@bouncetheatre.com.Website www.bouncetheatre.com.

Campaign for learning through museums and galleries (clmg)
Set up by many of the most influential museums and galleries organisations in the UK as a think-tank to promote the unique quality and experience of museum and gallery learning.
Contact: Gooseham Mill, Gooseham, Bude, Cornwall EX23 9PQ Tel: 01288 331615 Website: www.clmg.org.uk/index.html

Centre for Creative Communities
An independent charity that works cross-sector in arts and education to promote the building of communities where creativity and learning have pivotal roles in personal, social and cultural development. The centre works with relevant agencies and individuals to encourage collaborative partnerships among diverse parties, and aims to influence public and private policy in the area of community regeneration. 
Contact: Centre for Creative Communities, 118 Commercial Street, London E1 6NF. Tel: 020 7247 5385. Website: www.creativecommunities.org.uk

Centre for the Study of Children, Youth and Media
The Centre for the Study of Children, Youth and Media undertakes research and consultancy, holds conference and public seminars, organises networks of researchers and practitioners, and works in partnership with other organisations in order to move beyond a defensive approach and find new ways of empowering young people, both as critical consumers and as producers in their own right. 
Contact: Institute of Education, University of London, 23-29 Emerald Street, London WC1N 3QS. Tel: 020 7763 2180. Website: www.childrenyouthandmediacentre.co.uk/

Centres for Curiosity and Imagination 
The Centres for  Curiosity and Imagination project, coordinated by The Kids' Clubs Network, aims to stimulate and support the development of community-based discovery centres within the UK. The centres bring children, families and others together to learn about the world through fun, first-hand experiences. The project stems from a 1998 Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation report which explored the hugely successful phenomenon of 'children's museums' in the USA and elsewhere.
Contact: Kids' Clubs Network, Bellerive House, 3 Muirfield Crescent, London E14 9SZ. Tel: 020 7512 2112. Fax: 020 7512 2010. Website: www.curiosityandimagination.org.uk.

Chroma
Chroma is an international literary journal publishing poetry, prose and artwork by lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans-sexual writers and artists. The journal, funded by Arts Council England, was launched in 2004 and is the only one of its kind in the UK. Website: www.chromajournal.co.uk/

Children's Discovery Centre
A charity that works with schools and writers to engage children in the pleasure and power of reading and writing. They work with over 59,000 children every year, organising residencies, workshops and events with children's writers. Website: www.childrensdiscovery.org.uk

www.coffeehouseforwriters.com
Coffeehouse for writers is a US website, with members worldwide, which offers online courses, newsletters, discussion forums and tips for developing creative writing.

East-Side Educational Trust
East-Side Educational Trust is an arts and education charity which aims to introduce children in London to arts and literature and to raise standards of achievement in language, literacy and artistic endeavour through creativity. They also run national and international projects.
Contact: Suite 16, Perseverance Works, 37 Hackney Road, Shoreditch, London E2 7NX. Tel: 020 7033 2380. Website: www.eastside.org.uk/index.htm

www.factsandfiction.co.uk
Facts and fiction is the website of the only independent national storytelling magazine in the UK.

Federation of Worker Writers and Community Publishers, UK
The FWWCP is an umbrella organisation for writers groups and publishers who wish to share their skills and work with their communities. It has member groups and organisations around the world. The UK branch runs an annual festival of writing, organises training, develops networks, and encourages people to express themselves in writing. 
Contact: The FWWCP, Burslem School of Art, Queen Street, Stoke on Trent ST6 3EJ. Tel: 01782 822327. Website: http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/thefwwcp/Info.htm

Film Education
The aim of Film Education is to encourage and promote the study of film and cinema within the UK National Curriculum. In supporting teachers it aims to give pupils the opportunity to analyse and evaluate a wide range of media. It provides a range of free educational materials, organises training courses, workshops, seminars and events including National Schools Film Week. Study resources include film specific CD-ROMs and educational online resources, study guides, generic study guides and videos, plus new materials in digital video editing.
Contact: Film Education, 21-22 Poland Street, London, W1F 8QQ. Tel: 020 7851 9450. Fax: 020 7439 3218. Email: postbox@filmeducation.org Website: www.filmeducation.org

Group 64
Group 64 is a theatre company which works with children aged 4-18 in Putney, in weekly classes in school. The company aims to link with the local community to facilitate children's engagement with the curriculum, in particular literacy and storytelling, by fostering their creativity. Contact: Putney Arts Centre, Ravenna Road, Putney, London SW16 6AW. Tel: 020 8788 6943.
Website www.putneyartstheatre.org.uk/g64.aspx

Headliners
Headliners is a UK news agency producing news, features and comment by children aged eight to 19. Through a unique journalism programme, young people research and write stories on issues that are important to them for publication in national and local newspapers, magazines, television and radio. Contact: Headliners, Exmouth House, 3-11 Pine Street, London EC1R 0JH. Tel: 020 7833 2577.
Website: www.headliners.org/homepage.htm

www.incwriters.co.uk
The International Network & Community of Writers Society (Incwriters) was founded in 2004 to help create and support literature networks. It provides a one-stop website for promoters, agents, publishers, readers and writers.

www.lit-net.org
Lit-Net is a virtual literacy centre for the West Midlands that promotes an inclusive approach to literature and reading. It also includes lots of general information of use to readers elsewhere in the UK or abroad.

MakeBelieve Arts
Small independent consultancy offering storytelling Inset based on the philosophy of Vivian Gussin Paley, an American early years educationalist who has developed storytelling techniques to develop children's oracy, social skills and confidence. 
Contact: 1 Creek Road, London SE8 3BT Tel: 020 8691 3880. Website: www.makebelievearts.co.uk

Nugent Education Ltd.
A Merseyside-based dynamic company delivering structured workshops (and projects) to a wide range of people, regardless of age group. Workshops cover dance, drama, djing, percussion, break-dancing, hip-hop/rap, graffiti, singing and visual arts. Tel: 0151 426 6699.
Website: www.nugenteducation.co.uk/

Publishers' Association
The association represents publishers and organises World Book Day.
Contact: 29b Montague Street, London WC1B 5BW, Tel: 020 7691 9191, Fax: 020 7691 9199. Email: mail@publishers.org.uk. Website: www.publishers.org.uk

Royal Society for Arts (RSA)
The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce is a voluntary organisation which runs projects, lectures and events.
Contact: RSA, 8 John Adam Street, London, WC2N 6EZ. Tel: 020 7930 5115.
Website: http://www.thersa.org/

Scottish Book Trust
Among other things, Scottish Book Trust administers National Poetry Day in Scotland.

Scottish Storytelling Centre
The Scottish Storytelling Centre is a resource for those that wish to foster their own storytelling skills or organise a storytelling event of their own. Regular activities programmed through the Centre include the Scottish International Storytelling Festival, training workshops, local storytelling clubs for children and adults, and storyteller visits to schools, libraries, conferences and arts venues. The work of the centre also includes Gaelic, Scots and community language projects. 
Contact: Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1SR. Tel: 0131 556 9579. Website: www.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk.

Society for Storytelling
The SfS is a network for everyone interested in the exchange of knowledge regarding the art of storytelling. It provides information on all aspects of storytelling, such as stories, events, festivals and storytellers. It also coordinates National Storytelling Week, which takes place annually in February. 
Contact: PO Box 2344, Reading RG6 7FG. Tel: 0118 935 1381. Website: www.sfs.org.uk.

Society of Authors
The Society of Authors is a non-profit making membership organisation founded to protect the rights and further the interests of authors.
Contact: Society of Authors, 84 Drayton Gardens, London SW10 9SB. Tel: 020 7373 6642. Fax: 020 7373 5768. Website: www.societyofauthors.net.

www.stagework.org.uk
Stagework is a website which provides behind-the-scenes access to the work of the National Theatre, Bristol Old Vic and Birmingham Rep. The site includes video-streaming of rehearsals and performance; interviews with actors, directors and designers; and material designed to stimulate debate. It also provides teaching materials for English and drama at key stages 3 and 4.

The Verbal Arts Centre, Northern Ireland 
The Verbal Arts Centre is a charitable body which was established in 1992 to explore, support and encourage the traditions of the oral
narrative, storytelling and literature through local, regional and international perspectives. 
Contact: The Verbal Arts Centre Stable Lane and Mall Wall, Bishop Street, Derry ~ Londonderry, N. Ireland BT48 6PU. Tel: 028 7126 6946. Fax: 028 7126 3368. Email: info@verbalartscentre.co.uk. Website: www.verbalartscentre.co.uk.

The Word Hoard
Yorkshire-based literature and arts development agency. 
Contact: Unit 25, The Gatehouse Centre, Albert Street, Lockwood, Huddersfield HD1 3QD. Tel: 01484 426626. Website: www.wordhoard.co.uk.

www.author.co.uk
The Author website provides information, advice and guidance for writers and writers' circles.

www.birminghamwords.co.uk
Birmingham Words is a Birmingham-based online community and magazine for creative reading and writing. Provides discussion forums, information for writers, and useful resources.

English PEN
English PEN is the founding centre of International PEN, a membership association in over 100 countries. It provides an active and supportive focus for writers and other professionals working in the literary sector. It runs an events programme, an extremely successful literacy programme, and since the 1960s has fielded one of International PEN's largest Writers in Prison committees.
Contact: English PEN, 6-8 Amwell Street, London EC1R 1UQ. Tel: 020 7713 0023.
Website: www.englishpen.org

Centre for Lifelong Learning at the University of York
Offers open access creative writing courses to the local community (as well as a range of history and humanities provision), as both face-to-face and distance learning, web-based learning opportunities. Students can either learn for pleasure (the link for these courses is at
www.york.ac.uk/inst/cce/learningforpleasure/creativewriting.htm) or gain credits at higher education, first year undergraduate level 1 (the link for this is at www.york.ac.uk/inst/cce/accredited/creativewriting.htm).
Website:http://www.york.ac.uk/

www.york.ac.uk/lifelonglearning

Everybody Writes
The Everybody Writes website offers classroom teachers innovative ideas and practical resources to get primary pupils and secondary students excited about writing. It is run by Booktrust in partnership with the NLT, and with funding from the DCSF.
Contact: Booktrust, Book House, 45 East Hill, London SW18 2QZ. Tel: 020 8516 2967. Website: www.everybodywrites.org.uk/

www.groovychildwriter.co.uk
Groovy Child Writer is a website created by an enthusiastic parent but hosted by children where other children are encouraged to submit their stories and poems.

www.inkhead.co.uk
Inkhead offers Saturday creative writing courses for young people aged 9 to 16 in and around London.  They a lso work with schools, providing advice, consultation, teaching and support in creative writing for young people of all ages.

www.kidsonthenet.org.uk
The Kids on the net website, developed by the trAce Online Writing Centre at The Nottingham Trent University, which invites children to submit their writing for publication online. It includes poems, stories, articles, reports and opinions, whether they are written at school, at home, in a library, writing club or anywhere else.

www.literaturenortheast.co.uk
The Literature North West website has comprehensive listings for local readers and writers of literary events and readings in the North East region, an A-Z of North East writers and news and longer features.

Literature Training
An initiative by seven leading literature organisations to support the professional development of writers and others working within new writing and literature. 
Contact: Literature Training, PO Box 23595, Edinburgh EH6 7YX. Tel: 0131 553 2210.
Website: www.literaturetraining.com

The National Academy of Writing
A dedicating writing school whose long term aim is to become 'the RADA for writing'.
Contact: National Academy of Writing, School of English, UCE, Perry Barr, Birmingham B42 2SU.
Tel: 0121 331 5471. Website: www.thenationalacademyofwriting.org.uk/naw/index.asp

National Association of Writers in Education (NAWE)
NAWE represents and supports writers, teachers and all those involved in the development of creative writing in education. It holds a directory of writers who work in schools, colleges and communities that is available to search on the NAWE website.
Contact: NAWE, PO Box 1, Sheriff Hutton, York YO6 7YU. Tel: 01653 618429. Website: www.nawe.co.uk

National Association of Writers' Groups
Aims to bring together isolated writers' groups and individuals and to promote the study and art of writing. It offers membership, information on local groups and a bi-monthly magazine.
Contact: The Arts Centre, Biddick Lane, Washington, Tyne and Wear NE38 2AB.
Website: www.nawg.co.uk/index.htm

www.theneverendingstory.co.uk
The Never Ending Story is an online facility that allows users to read, and contribute to, a range of online publications, including constantly evolving fictional stories that are started by well-known authors and personalities.

www.newwritingnorth.com
New Writing North is an information website for writers in the north of England, including advice, jobs, events, grants, awards and help for young writers. 

www.newwritingpartnership.org.uk
The New Writing Partnership aims to highlight, develop and support creative writing in the east of England.

Spread the Word
Spread the Word supports the development of new writing and live literature in London, with a focus in the south and west.
Contact: Spread The Word, 77 Lambeth Walk, London SE11 6DX. Tel: 020 7735 3111. Website: www.spreadtheword.org.uk.

www.unheardwords.co.uk
Unheard words is a website devoted to new writers of colour - a place for new writers to get published and share thoughts, feelings and experiences.

www.writeaway.org.uk
Write away! is an online creative writing magazine for teachers and young writers aged 7-14. It includes news and reviews, featured authors, competitions and a chance for young people to submit their own work.

www.youwriteon.com
You Write On website hosts a chart, created by Arts Council England, for budding authors and invites users to rate the opening chapters of unpublished books. Each month, the people behind the three highest-ranked stories at the site will receive critiques from established writers and agents. These stories will then enter the Bestseller Chart. A publishing deal is also being offered to the person whose work is the most popular over the course of a year.

Apples and Snakes
Performance poetry organisation that acts as a promotional platform for poetry and poets working in the UK today. It also runs a Poets in Education scheme for schools and develops community-based performance poetry festivals, tours and events, both in the wider community and at its base in Battersea Arts Centre. 
Contact: Apples and Snakes, Battersea Arts Centre, Lavender Hill, London SW11 5TN. Tel: 020 7924 3410. Email: snakes@apples.demon.co.uk. Website: www.applesandsnakes.org. 

www.canihaveaword.org.uk
Barbican Education has developed Can I Have a Word as an interactive resource aimed at primary age children's skills in creative writing. The website captures the spirit of the live project and makes it available to all. The resource offers teachers new ideas to stimulate creative thinking, newly commissioned poems and top writing tips from a range of leading poets, exciting new animated and aural stimuli for the classroom, and downloadable worksheets with specific curriculum links developed by the NLT.

www.childrenspoetrybookshelf.co.uk
The Children's Poetry Bookshelf website is run by The Poetry Book Society (020 7833 9247) and is a book club for children aged seven to 11. The club aims to make the best children's poetry available to young readers in an exciting and enjoyable way. Support is provided for teachers and librarians, including activity sheets and posters, to encourage children to read and enjoy poetry.

www.desertmoonreview.com
The Desert Moon Review website provides an e-zine, newsletter, and an active bulletin board for poetry critique.

www.iPoems.org.uk
The iPoems website offers poetry downloads for iPods, including new poems by poets such as Benjamin Zephaniah, as well as popular back catalogue material. MP3 downloads will cost 50p and an annual subscription is £10.

www.maninthemoon.co.uk
Man in the moon is a children's poetry website with information for parents and teachers. Children can send in their own poems for publication on the site.

www.moontowncafé.com
The Moon Town Cafe website features all types of poetry and writing, including a blog, children's poetry, teens poetry, short stories, writing contests, and a members area. The poetry forum features all styles of poetry from love, haiku, and humour to odes, tanka and rhyming.

www.poetryarchive.org
The Poetry Archive is an online collection of recordings of English-language poets, both contemporary and from the past, reading their work, which can be listened to free of charge.

The Poetry Book Society
The Poetry Book Society was founded by T.S. Eliot in 1953 to promote a love and understanding of contemporary poetry. It is now a membership organisation that keeps people all over the world up to date with English-language poetry published in the UK and Ireland. It is also operates as a specialist poetry book club, and runs a separate club for children, the Children's Poetry Bookshelf.
Contact: The Poetry Book Society, Fourth Floor, 2 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9RA. Tel: 0207 833 9247 Fax: 0207 833 5990 . Email: info@poetrybooks.co.uk. Website: www.poetrybooks.co.uk. 

www.poetryclass.net
The Poetry class is a DCSF funded project, coordinated by the Poetry Society, that works with schools and poets to develop skills and confidence in using poetry in the classroom. 

The Poetry Library
The Poetry Library exists to support and promote modern British poetry. It contains about 65,000 volumes and aims to stock all poetry published in the UK since 1912, as well as a wide selection of twentieth century international work. Any UK resident can join the library free of charge. 
Contact: The Poetry Library, Level 5, Royal Festival Hall, London SE1 8XX. Tel: 020 7921 0943/0664. Website: www.poetrylibrary.org.uk/?flash=yes

The Poetry School
The school offers support and challenges amongst a community of fellow poetry lovers. The school runs a core programme using celebrated poets, including reading courses and special events with visiting poets. They also run courses, seminars and workshops across England.
Contact: 1a Jewel Road, London E17 4QU. Tel: 0845 223 5274. Website: www.poetryschool.com

The Poetry Society
The Poetry Society exists to help poetry and poets thrive in Britain today. Established in 1909, the Poetry Society is a membership organisation open to all. Among other things, the Poetry Society coordinates the annual National Poetry Day. They also run Poetryclass INSET training days for teachers.
Contact: The Poetry Society, 22 Betterton Street, London WC2H 9BU. Tel: 020 7420 9880. Fax: 020 7240 4818. Email: marketing@poetrysociety.org.uk. Website: www.poetrysociety.org.uk.

www.poetryzone.ndirect.co.uk
The Poetry Zone includes children's poems and poetry book reviews, interviews with poets, recommendations and lesson plans for teachers.

Scottish Poetry Library
Organisation promoting poetry in Scotland, to the regular reader, the serious student and the casual browser. The library holds a collection of written works, as well as tapes and videos, with an emphasis on 20th century poetry written in Scotland, in Scots, Gaelic and English. All resources, advice and information are available free of charge. 
Contact: Scottish Poetry Library, 5 Crichton's Close, Canongate, Edinburgh EH8 8DT. Tel: 0131 557 2876. Fax: 0131 557 8393. Email: inquiries@spl.org.uk. Website: www.spl.org.uk.