AN AMBITIOUS programme to cement Ledbury's reputation as the 'home of poetry' has been announced. 

The organisers of the town's poetry festival are looking to put on more events than ever before over the next few months- starting with a week-long set of workshops for young people over the summer. 

This will kick start four months of poetry fun in Ledbury, culminating in an 'exciting announcement' at the end of the year. 

This comes hot off the heels of a hugely successful Ledbury Poetry Festival last month, with organisers hoping to build on the energy generated from that event. 

This summer's workshops are free, funded by Herefordshire Council, and are part of the bid to give people of all ages the chance to engage with poetry. 

They will get under way next Saturday, August 17, with a creative writing workshop for 10 to 16-year-olds with professional poetry teacher Sara Jane Arbury. 

It will get under way at 10am and will last until midday. 

Then from Monday to Friday, August 19 to 23, there will be acting workshops from 10am each day with experienced youth theatre facilitator Ellie Scanlan. 

Youngsters will be tasked with creating a play in a week, where they will write, rehearse and perform their own play, culminating in a final Friday afternoon performance for family and friends. 

And on Wednesday, August 21 artist Jeanette McCulloch will be hosting a creative art workshop between 2pm and 4pm for six to 10-year-olds. 

Becky Shaw, who helps to organise the poetry festival, told the Reporter: 
"We have seen so much engagement throughout the poetry festival, and because of how popular things are we are looking to put on more workshops throughout the year and this is the beginning of that.

"We want to encourage people of all ages to get involved in poetry and we have some really exciting things planned before the end of the year.

"We are looking to cement Ledbury as the home of poetry and this is another step towards that."

Although this summer's workshops are free, they will be ticketed. 
 
Visit https://ledburypoetry.org.uk/home/whats-on/ for more information and to book tickets.