CSL, you did not disappoint! Thank you to every poet, artist, audience member, volunteer and partner who made this year's Contains Strong Language festival possible. It was a fantastic turn out and we're still revelling in the afterglow of a luminescent celebration of spoken word and poetry 🎤

A huge congratulations to Claire Lynn, one of our 2024 New Northern Poets, on being shortlisted for the Forward Prize's Best Single Poem for her poem Live Stream! 👏 forwardartsfoundation.org/in-conversat...

Nothing like a cuppa and picking out which Contains Strong Language events you're going to book... CSL comes to Bradford 18-21 Sept, with broadcasts, workshops, new playwriting, poetry and spoken word, and exclusive performances: bradford2025.co.uk/programme/bbc-contains-strong-language/

as people have been asking me, you now get tickets to see me perform at these dates form the BBC contains strong language event. i'm playing the St. George's Hall, who for my own history saw Motorhead there as my first proper gig in 2006. tickets available HERE www.bbc.co.uk/events/ewbv9...

All events are now bookable for the BBC Contains Strong Language festival coming to Bradford 18-21 September! We're proud partners, alongside BBC Arts and Bradford City of Culture, in bringing CSL to Bradford for the first time. Book now! bradford2025.co.uk/programme/bbc-contains-strong-language/

We're delighted to have supported this project by @thewordupnorth.bsky.social with three of our Schools of Sanctuary in Bradford District exploring what it means to feel welcomed, especially for people seeking sanctuary seekers arriving in our city.

Wonderful to see coverage of 'You're Welcome' in the @yorkshirepost.co.uk! Our creative project with primary schools in Bradford and Schools of Sanctuary explores what it means to feel welcomed, especially for refugees and sanctuary seekers. www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/arts-and-cul...

Some more exciting news! 👀

*Drumroll please*... We are delighted to announce this year's cohort of New Northern Poets! Keep an eye on our socials to track their journeys as New Northern Poets, and find out more about this year's group here: buff.ly/x40pEXw

Introducing Bards of Bradford! We are so excited to be working with the inimitable Nabeela Ahmed and the team at Bradford Libraries to celebrate and share the people's poetry of Bradford.

Did you know that this week is Refugee Week? The perfect time to kick off You're Welcome, a creative project that celebrates refugees and sanctuary seekers through poetry and visual art 👋 #RefugeeWeek #Bradford2025 #cityofsanctuary #schoolsofsanctuary

Aireheads kicks off this week with our first poet in residence, Leeds-based writer and performer Andy Craven-Griffiths, leading a week of creative outdoor activities with Bradford's NHS Green Therapy Team and their service users.

Prize now open for: Stories of joy and resilience in the face of daily challenges Narratives of resistance, activism, and fighting against ableism in all its forms, Personal stories of triumph, solidarity, and empowerment within disabled communities Details in link. Please share :)

Our Young Writers recently explored Arabic poetry and turned their hands to calligraphy under the expert guidance of Razwan Ul-Haq. Here they are perfecting their calligraphy using traditional hand-cut bamboo pens ✍️

As part of @bradford2025.co.uk, Rhubarb at the Triangle's resident writers (including two of our former New Northern Poets!) are inviting poets of all ages and experience levels to enter Wandering Words — a brand new poetry trail celebrating place and imagination in Shipley.

Introducing Aireheads! Produced in partnership with the brilliant Green Therapy Team at NHS Bradford District Care, Aireheads will explore the relationship between poetry, nature connectedness and wellbeing by appointing three resident poets within three alternative green spaces across Bradford 🌳🧵

We are THRILLED to be partnering with the BBC and @bradford2025.co.uk to bring the UK's biggest poetry and performance festival to Bradford this September! Contains Strong Language will run from 18-21 September, with performances, readings, events and activities at venues across the city ⭐

"Everyone knows the word 'war'. But very few understand what it truly means." This term our Story Explorer Group will be reading You Don't Know What War Is by Yeva Skalietska.

Very exciting news from @newwritingnorth.bsky.social - check out The Bee, their new online literary magazine showcasing working-class writing 👇🐝

Poets across the north! You have until midnight tonight to apply to the 2025 New Northern Poets programme 🕛 tick tock...

Thinking about applying to be a New Northern Poet? Find out what our 2024 poets had to say about the experience 👇

I was fortunate to be a New Northern Poet a few years ago and attend the Ilkley Poetry Festival. Highly recommend applying!

Northern poets! You have one week left to apply for this paid development and mentoring opportunity! 👉 Find out more about the New Northern Poets programme and apply here: tinyurl.com/5ypj459f #poetry #northernwriters #writingopportunity

We're so excited to be working with Outside The Box Cafe and poet Chris Singleton again on Word Out! Our poetry and spoken word workshops are kicking off today, all in prep for the next Word Out showcase as part of BBC's Contains Strong Language and @bradford2025.co.uk this September!

📢 Calling all northern poets! Applications are OPEN for our 2025 New Northern Poets programme! This year's selected poets will receive mentoring, commissions, opportunities to build their profile and network & more! 👉 Apply by Weds 30 April: tinyurl.com/5ypj459f #northernpoets #writingopportunity

What a joy to see @danielghinds.bsky.social's published poetry collection! Daniel was part of our 2023 cohort of New Northern Poets: tinyurl.com/ynht78wc 2025 New Northern Poets applications open soon... Watch this space! 👀

Charles and Phoebe from The Unit in Bradford delivered a fabulous workshop for our Young Writers on Screenwriting at Keighley Library. Our Young Writers were incredible as always, transforming stories into screenplay excerpts. Here comes the next generation of Bradford screenwriters!

HUGE congratulations to Claire Lynn (one of our 2024 New Northern Poets!) on placing second in @mslexia.bsky.social's 2024 Women's Poetry Competition 🎉

We're proud to present 'Migrations of Stone’, a poem by Brimham Rocks' Writer in Residence, Natalie Anastasia Davies 🪨 You can find out more about our work with @nationaltrust.bsky.social and Natalie here: tinyurl.com/bddfr7sw

Look what we found among the rocks... Printed copies of Natalie Anastasia Davies' poem 'Migrations of Stone'! 😍 Since her appointment as Writer in Residence at @nationaltrust.bsky.social Brimham Rocks, Natalie has immersed herself in the landscape - and what she has produced is truly beautiful.

Comedy writer Jessica Knappett led our Young Writers' Group last night in Keighley! She turned the session into a writers room, with creative prompts for kickstarting sitcom screenwriting ideas and inventing hilarious traits and flaws for our characters. ✍️🎭

Check out this huddle of colourful penguins crafted by our story explorers! They've been exploring the brrrrrr-illiant book Maisie vs Antarctica by @jackjackman.bsky.social 🥶🐧 #nationalstorytellingweek #growagenerationofreaders

Celebrate your local community and make your mark on @bradford2025.co.uk! Community groups in Keighley & Ilkley can apply now for grants of up to £500 to put towards creative activities, events, parties and more. Apply before 12 Feb 2025 🗓️ #Bradford2025 #UKCityofCulture #BD2025 #Keighley #Ilkley

There are just two spaces left on New Northern Poet Mike Farren's online poetry workshop this Weds! Encounter and write poems that explore the nature and significance of place, and construct and imagine an 'elsewhere'. 🗺️🖊️ Book here: tinyurl.com/2v99kcan #poetry #writingworkshop

Aspiring poets! Established poets! Those of you who don't yet realise you are poets! Listen up! There are just a few spaces left on our New Northern Poets' online poetry workshops this month. Create poetry inspired by artwork or the places that mean something to you ✍️💻 Book now: buff.ly/408jVAX

Happy New Year! We're back in the office and wanted to share some of the books we've loved reading over the break 📚❤️ Let us know what you've been reading!👇 #reading #books #recommendedreading #writingcommunity #agoodbook

We're delighted to announce the winners of the 2024 SI Leeds Literary Prize. ✨1st & SI Readers' Choice winner: Maeve Clarke, Trapped Between Two Worlds ✨2nd: Arathi Menon, Da ✨3rd: Jac Shreeves-Lee, The House that Jack Built and other stories Congratulations to our winners!