Local Talent Shines at the First Storymaking Festival.
The Waterways Storymaking Festival 2017/18 theme this year was “Where My River Flows” celebrating local stories and tapestries from local people. Creative writing and tapestry workshops were held during September – November 2017. A wealth of creative talent was uncovered from the following groups;
Atlas Centre Lisburn
Inspire Wellbeing, Carryduff
Lurgan Library – Local Primary School
Lurgan Library – General cross community
Belfast Central Library
Falls Road Library
U3A – Ormeau Library
Navigation House, Lisburn
RNIB, Belfast
Ballynafeigh Writers Group
Magheralin Women’s group
Aghagallon Community Group
Positive Futures, Lisburn
In all we held 21 workshops;
Creative writing workshops – 11, with number in groups 125
Tapestry workshops – 8, with number in groups 25
TOTAL participants 150
The Festival culminated in an Awards Event held on Friday 2nd February 2018 at the Lagan Valley Island Centre, Lisburn. An inspiring selection of work was read by the authors, and the audience, some 120 people of all ages were also entertained by Donal Kearney, singing local songs such as Sweet Lough Neagh, The Lisburn Lass and My Lagan Softly Flowing. The standard of the entries was high and an anthology of “Where My River Runs”poetry and stories will be released next month.
The winning story was “Where My River Flows” by Vi Whitehead the winning poem was “Riverdance” by Morna Sullivan. Prizes and certificates were presented to the top four stories and poems and to the tapestry groups by Deputy Mayor of Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council, Councillor Hazel Legge.
