National Literacy Trust case study of 1000 Verse Renga Project, and news of renga sessions (workshops) that are just too much fun for their own good!

photo©With Words
Click on above image to go to Southbank Centre Global Poetry System page
Alan Summers, of With Words
and June Wentland, Reader Development Officer of Bath Libraries (B&NES)

1) Read about the National Literacy Trust Renga Case Study
2) Spring Renga Competition results
3) Summer Renga Sessions
i) Renga party session for writers
ii) FREE renga session(s) for excluded groups
iii) Please read and email for further information (see info below)

National Literacy Trust: Reading Connects
Community involvement - case studies:
Renga river (pdf) - St Martin's Garden Primary School, Bath have been working with Bath Central Library on a global renga poetry project:
Click here for the pdf file

Look out for:
more exciting developments of the 1000 Verse Renga Project including the results of the competition for favourite local renga verses.

Our Summer Renga Sessions!
we are planning something rather special in May 2010!
1) A renga session for writers
If you wish to go on the list for the writers' renga session, or to ask for further information please email us at: rengaBath@withwords.org.uk

2) FREE RENGA SESSION(S) for Adult Learners Week
If you'd like to nominate an excluded group or adult learner group we would really love to hear from you, to enable sometimes our forgotten members of society to enjoy this immensely fun and learning group activity.

Email us at: adultlearners@withwords.org.uk

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The 1000 Verse Renga Project weblinks

BBC 1000 verse renga article:
http://tinyurl.com/rengaBBC

Phase Two at Bath Libraries:
http://tiny.cc/BathLibraries

Bath Chronicle renga page:
http://tiny.cc/BathChronicle79

Area 17 renga info: http://tiny.cc/1000VerseRenga

Facebook (if you have an account):
http://tiny.cc/Facebook1000
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Phase One of the 1000 Verse Renga Project concluded

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Phew, what an incredible success the first stage of the 1000 Verse Renga has been!

The project received triple the number of renga verses we asked for!

We're collating all the verses ranging from libraries in at least two counties; txt from two cellphones; six different email addresses; and various other means.

A 1000 Verse Renga aka Super Renga film is in the editing process, as well as a free renga ebook available to everyone.

A big thank you to everyone who got involved locally and globally!

What's next? Here's some clues from my partner in renga June Wentland, Reader Development Officer, B&NES/Bath Libraries:
weblink: the next renga project stage

Happy New Year!!!

The 1000 Verse Renga: a call to all poets and the public for even more verses

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The Renga Project
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now over 1000 verses
and extended to Christmas!

Roger McGough: "This is a lovely idea."



BBC Poetry Season:
"The free project, led by Japanese poetry expert Alan Summers, is the first attempt in Europe to produce a 1,000 verse Renga."
Alan Summers also took part in the BBC's Poetry Summer 2009 season.


An open invitation to poets and the public :
We said we'd love even more renga verses from all the residents of Bath, and all the poets and writers in Bath, and we did, thank you!

We believe this 1000 Verse Renga will stand as an extraordinary social document, as well as a riveting poem.

Competition
A competition is also being planned for Spring 2010 for the best verses in various categories: local poets and writers; international poets and writers; the general public; and schools and children.

AN EXPLANATION ABOUT THE WHOLE THING!
This is a unique project drawing experienced writers, and international haiku and renga poets, and their verses together, with contributions from the general public.

I'm the Japanese Embassy roving "Japan-UK 150" haiku & renga poet-in-residence currently in partnership with Bath Libraries.

A challenge started on National Poetry Day (U.K.) in October for the residents of Bath and North East Somerset to create the world's longest poem using the renga form of poety (see below).



This project became more than a poem, it allowed people from all walks of life to reveal aspects of their life, their worries, their fears, to create a unique time capsule for the residents of this area:

and with verse contributions from all over the world from people who care about people beyond their geographical, political and cultural boundaries:

Bath Chronicle: Councillor Terry Gazzard, Bath and North East Somerset Council's cabinet member for tourism, leisure and culture said:

"B&NES' libraries are a place where words can come alive and everyone has the opportunity to learn and develop new skills. Schemes like this poetry project bring the whole community together and reinforce Bath's reputation as a global centre for the arts."

Alan Summers, Bath Chronicle newspaper:

"Libraries are a place of words, and as someone who promotes the love of words, what better place could I choose to launch this incredible type of poem, where the public write the poem – not the poet."

I also want everyone to join in with this fully inclusive group poem!

Bath Central Library access incl. lifts, BSL, and computers:
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http://tiny.cc/LibraryAccess

1000 plus verses up on single verse cards too!

Photos taken from last Friday where we had a photo-shoot of this amazing project.


photo by Kathy Hogan (With Words)
June Wentland, Reader Development Officer, Bath Libraries; Alan Summers, haiku & renga poet-in-residence, Bath Libraries; and Lynne Hamer, Children's Librarian for Bath & North East Somerset Council Libraries.


Both photos by Kathy Hogan (With Words)
June Wentland, Reader Development Officer, putting up individual renga verse cards hand-copied from email and txt renga verses.

Don't forget to click onto images and make them bigger!



photo by Kathy Hogan (With Words)
The 1000 Verse Renga was going to be just for a month, but popular demand has made this project extend into Christmas with a final display planned for the New Year.

photo by Kathy Hogan (With Words)
We have actually gone past the 1000 verse target, but people love this project so much we just had to keep going, and we are already past 2000 verses, but very happy to receive even more!

Renga verse email: moreverses@withwords.org.uk


photo by Alan Summers(With Words)
Please do ask what a renga verse is, or what renga verse you could link to, but bear in mind that verses are constantly coming in via email and mobile txt on two different numbers, plus twitter and facebook and other ways too! ;-)

Don't forget to click onto images and make them bigger!

re Competition
We're also planning a competition for the best renga verses with possible categories such as: Best Children's Verse; Best Local Adult Verse; and Best U.K. Verse; and Best International Verse. Keep checking in for when we announce this part of the 1000 Verse Renga.

So many best bits about this project, and so gratifying when someone of the stature of Roger McGough tells you it's a lovely idea!

For those of you interested in sending us a renga verse to add to the big renga project, you can either take the plunge and send them straight to: moreverses@withwords.org.uk


Alan taking a photo of Kathy of With Words taking a photo of June Wentland putting up something like the 950th verse card, all copied by hand by June throughout the library.

Or ask us for a verse to link to, bearing in mind that verses come in thick and fast from means of communication via electronic means, as well as people walking into all the branch libraries throughout the county! ;-)


photo by Kathy Hogan (With Words)
Please scroll down to catch earlier posts about this remarkable project and how it started.


photo by Alan Summers (With Words)

photo by Alan Summers (With Words)
The Children's Department also has a wonderful window with verse cards too!

Don't forget to click onto images and make them bigger!


photo by Kathy Hogan (With Words)

A taste of some of the fine international renga for the project

photo by Alan Summers at Bath Central Library
Please click onto the image for a larger picture and enjoy!

Thanks Renku Group!
Weblink: http://renkugroup.proboards.com/index.cgi

The 1000 Verse Renga is now 2000 verses strong!

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David Lassman, scriptwriter and novelist, who also co-runs the Bath Writers Workshop, helpfully filling in a space between verses!

David was also possibly the 1,999 person to write a renga verse, topped up to 2000 from an entry from Mexico by email later that evening.


photo©Alan Summers


photo©Alan Summers

Thanks David!

It's always gratifying to find one of Bath's fine writers willing to be involved in such a community spirited project as the 1000 Verse Renga Project on the same day Roger McGough told us it was a lovely idea.
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The 1000 Verse Renga Film

photo by Karen Hoy
The 1000 Verse Renga being filmed: Alan preparing for the interview.


Alan being interviewed.

photo by Karen Hoy

Watch this space as there will be a film about the 1000 Verse Renga Project being released this year!

The 1000 Verse Renga progress

http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/education/Poetry-children-write-1-000-verse-poem-Europe/article-1438818-detail/article.html

Be involved in this unique ground-breaking project!
Everyone from Bath (and BATHnes) and the Rest of the World are welcome to send a renga verse.

Just send a two or three very short line verse, or ask us to send you a verse to link to!

Renga verse email: 1000verses@withwords.org.uk

MOBILE PHONE / CELLPHONE "TXT A RENGA!"
Txt a Renga Verse: 07797 806 545
with RENGA followed by the verse and your name (first or full) and location

txt from outside the U.K.?
WEBLINK: World Phone Codes

BBC WEBLINK:
Alan's BBC 1000 verse renga article

weblink:
1000 Verse Renga: the beginning and National Poetry Day

Just two of the many renga sheets and renga verses coming in from local people and from around the world:

The 1000 Verse Renga

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The Renga Project
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has now reached over 1000 verses
and is now extended right up to Christmas.

Roger McGough: "This is a lovely idea."


An open invitation to poets and the public
This is an open invitation to all the residents of Bath, and to all the poets and writers in Bath to collobrate on this unique project.

We urge you to help us create a super poem that is jointly written by the public and local, national and international poets.

We believe this super renga will stand as an extraordinary social document, as well as a riveting poem, all at the same time.

Competition
A competition is also being planned for the best verses in various categories: poets local and international; the general public; and from children.

This is a unique project drawing experienced writers and international haiku and renga poets and their contributions together with from the general public.

As the Japanese Embassy roving "Japan-UK 150" haiku & renga poet-in-residence currently based at Bath Central Library (situated upstairs in The Podium Shopping Centre) and in partnership with Bath Libraries from June to December 2009 (and New Year 2010), I set a challenge starting on National Poetry Day in October for the residents of Bath and North East Somerset to create the world's longest poem using the renga form of poety (see below).



This project becomes more than a poem, it allows people to reveal aspects of their life, their worries, their fears, it creates a unique time capsule for the residents of this area:

and with verse contributions from all over the world from people who do care about people beyond their geographical boundaries:

Bath Chronicle: Councillor Terry Gazzard, Bath and North East Somerset Council's cabinet member for tourism, leisure and culture said: "B&NES' libraries are a place where words can come alive and everyone has the opportunity to learn and develop new skills. Schemes like this poetry project bring the whole community together and reinforce Bath's reputation as a global centre for the arts."

Bath Chronicle quote me:

"Libraries are a place of words, and as someone who promotes the love of words, what better place could I choose to launch this incredible type of poem, where the public write the poem – not the poet."

I also want everyone to join in with this totally inclusive group poem!

Bath Central Library: http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/services/libraries-and-archives