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Avatar Perdita Cargill @perditact·

Coming 2 September! #DiaryofAnAccidentalWitch https://twitter.com/bookloverJo/status/1403261229347520515

Jo Clarke@bookloverJo

#DiaryofAnAccidentalWitch is available to pre-order now:
Waterstones https://www.waterstones.com/book/diary-of-an-accidental-witch/honor-and-perdita-cargill/katie-saunders/9781788953382
Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/Diary-Accidental-Witch-Perdita-Cargill/dp/178895338X
The RocketshipBookshop @rshipbshop https://rocketshipbookshop.co.uk/product/diary-of-an-accidental-witch/

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Avatar London Meed Primary @london_meed1·

This morning, children in Year 6 were shown this picture and asked to produce a piece of writing. Very well done to Charlie M who wrote this amazing poem - a very relevant topic at the moment as you will have seen in the news this week.@midsussex_times @brightonargus #Railways

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Avatar NMPAT @NMPATrust·

Research has shown that #music can boost attainment in other academic subjects. A Canadian study found that school music participation is linked to higher exam scores in English, maths & science!

What links can you think of between music & maths?
#GetPlaying #NMPATCanDo

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Avatar Louisa Reid 💙@louisareid·

@Inkpots1 Thank you! That’s amazing! Xx

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Avatar Inkpots @Inkpots1·

Just had a chat with our summer intern who is currently reading Gloves Off by @louisareid and she's totally hooked. Says that it's so powerful - all the more so because it's written in verse.

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Because we have reached the end of another half te

Because we have reached the end of another half term at Inkpots, I have been reviewing how things have gone. We’ve had an influx of new members to our weekly online groups so it’s a good moment to pause. ⁠
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Here are a few things which have are working for these groups at the moment:⁠
*keeping the numbers in each group to between six and ten ensures that everyone gets a chance to share their news and work. We get a number of young people who are introverted so keeping groups small helps avoid overwhelm.⁠
*when we’re doing some writing or drawing, young people appreciate the option to turn cameras off.⁠
*we also use the chat facility so that those who prefer to write down comments can do so.⁠
*we’ve also looked at the length of the sessions and – especially after a day at school or in home learning – between 30 and 45 minutes works well.⁠
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Visits from authors and artists continue to be great for the term-time groups. We’ve been thrilled to welcome cartoonist @venkman_project, @tracydarnton and @aishabushby, and photographer @daria_szotek.⁠
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However, amidst all this positivity there are ripples of anxiety. It’s brilliant that the world is opening up again but concerns about variants and also dealing with more social events are causing worries. Our older members are finding the fairly constant assessments at school particularly challenging. So we’ll continue to support wellbeing through creative writing activities. All the sessions also offer opportunities to talk about concerns too.⁠
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It’s amazing to see our young members adapt and change as the lockdown eases though – many have done a lot of growing up over the past year and it’s always a privilege to witness that process.⁠
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It's half term next week for many of our members.

It's half term next week for many of our members. If it's the same for you, hope it's a good one. Have a good bank holiday weekend too.⁠
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You may not be able to get away just yet to a tree house in the middle of the woods. But we can all go somewhere in our imaginations (which is just as well in my case as I wait for some clarity on being able to travel to the Netherlands to visit one of my sons).⁠
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Have a good rest. Read a book. Have a chat. Eat a bit of cake. Enjoy!

This quote was sent to us by one of our older memb

This quote was sent to us by one of our older members, who is a voracious and knowledgeable reader.⁠
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And as we are approaching the end of what has been - for many - a very long school term, plenty of dreaming is just what's needed.

We had some good news at the weekend. The kind tha

We had some good news at the weekend. The kind that gives you hope.⁠
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A few weeks ago, we launched the Inkwell Project which is a bursary fund to support disadvantaged young people access our services - especially small group and 1:1 sessions. (Experience and our own research has shown these to be particularly beneficial for young people facing challenges.)⁠
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On Saturday, we got confirmation that our local Lions Club wanted to contribute to the fund, so supporting a number of young people.⁠
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We were able to get this sorted quickly and within 24 hours the recipients were all set up with their support.⁠
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We want this project to offer straight forward, swift and targeted support. With minimum fuss.

For the first week of June I am opening up some 1:

For the first week of June I am opening up some 1:1 sessions to coincide with the English schools half term. I have four slots available and, because of commitments both business-wise and in my family, I won't be doing this again until at least August.⁠
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So if you have a son or daughter (age 10 - 14 years probably) who loves writing and has maybe just got a bit stuck, I can help!⁠
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If you're interested, why don't we have a quick zoom chat? The link to book in is in the bio. Then all the details will be sent straight to you.

We talk about mental health a lot in our groups he

We talk about mental health a lot in our groups here. Maybe not always directly, but with all the stresses and strains of the past 15 months in particular, there have been many conversations about managing stress (exam stress just now), friendships, boredom and self expression.⁠
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Young people have a clear understanding about the need to look after themselves - probably more than any previous generation. It's up to those of us around them to make sure this happens.⁠
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So as #mentalhealthawarenessweek draws to a close, it's important to keep on reinforcing the importance of all the various elements which help keep young people grounded - including getting away from screens, spending time with friends, having fun and expressing themselves creatively.

The possibilities for the future the young people

The possibilities for the future the young people who come to Inkpots are endless. And also a bit scary.⁠
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We work with some wonderful young writers, artists, songwriters, video creators, cartoonists and script writers. It will be amazing to see how these talents grow and develop in the coming years.⁠
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But there are also challenges ahead. There are exams to get through as well as relationships to navigate. Anxiety comes a-calling as well as the feelings around not 'fitting in'.⁠
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We'll be here for it all. Not just the wonderful moments when young people have a big creative success . We'll also be around for those moments when it isn't all going to plan.

Love this quote! ❤️ . It’s from a new book,

Love this quote! ❤️
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It’s from a new book, which we received yesterday (thanks so much @farshorebooks) called Moonchild - City of the Sun by @aishabushby
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We’re looking forward to meeting Aisha soon when she is coming to talk about her books with our primary school age members.
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It’s wonderful to connect authors and readers and one of the best bits of running Inkpots (of which there are many!).
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Happy weekend reading too! Let us know if you’ve got any good books on the go too.

For an organisation which was set up to support cr

For an organisation which was set up to support creative writing, we talk about wellbeing an awful lot.⁠
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The thing is that we don't see young people in isolation. They don't shrug off any concerns and worries at the online door. One of the points of ensuring we offer a safe, creative space is so that young people can relax. And when that happens, they feel they can share what's happening to them, good and bad.⁠
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Before Covid, we were seeing very clear signs of increased anxiety. That's why I studied for a certificate in young people's mental health last year. And it's why I continue to study.⁠
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Inkpots activities can help young people understand how their creativity can support them through the difficult times as well as the good days.⁠
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Looking after the whole young person is important to us not just encouraging the telling of wonderful tales. ⁠
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We’re very proud of the Inkpots community so it’s always brilliant to get feedback like this.
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Some of the young people who come to our sessions have been Inkpots members for many years so it’s a privilege to support them and their creativity as they grow up.

We have a new blog on our website today introducin

We have a new blog on our website today introducing a tool we use to check in with creativity levels.⁠
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We all know how it feels when things are going well and our creativity is flowing easily and freely. It's less easy when projects feel sluggish and heavy.⁠
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It's particularly important to help young people understand this too - and what we (and they) can do.⁠
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You can read our piece via this link: https://inkpots.org/the-inkpots-creative-jar-exercise/ or it's also in a clickable link in the bio.

Sharing some of the values which are right at the

Sharing some of the values which are right at the heart of what we do here at Inkpots.
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Kindness is paramount - to others, ourselves and to our own work and that of others.
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We want to ensure that our programmes are accessible to all. This is a work in progress and have some exciting news coming soon!
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Inkpots should also be a safe space for young people and their work. We want parents to feel secure too in the knowledge that their children are cared about and respected within our groups and programmes.
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(Swipe right to read all the images.)

Yesterday, I spent a good hour walking by the beac

Yesterday, I spent a good hour walking by the beach. It was a perfect early Spring morning. Just a few wispy clouds, scudding across an azure blue sky. The tide was just coming in, gentle waves breaking on the shingle. Space to think and breathe in the sea air.
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I love this time of year. Along with early to mid-Autumn, it’s a season when I feel fully connected to nature and my own creativity. My energy levels are high, and my work output and capacity increase too. I feel alive.
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I don’t think it’s a coincidence that these favourite times encompass birthdays - my sons were both born in May and that I have an Autumn birthday. Most of us enjoy celebrations and have fond memories which may make particular times of year special.
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It’s doesn’t always work out (because life – especially pandemics!) but I do try to make the most of these times, harnessing the energy and lightness.
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Do you have favourite seasons? And if you’re a parent, have you ever noticed your children particularly enjoying certain periods too. Let me know – I’d really love to hear

We return to our after school clubs next and can’t wait to see everyone!
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We have two groups which meet on Thursday afternoons - one for year 6s and the other for year 5 children.
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Each week during term time we meet to work on various writing activities - we’re particularly looking at story setting this half term.
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We are also looking forward to welcoming some lovely visitors too - including @venkman_project and @aishabushby 🥳
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We keep the numbers in our groups fairly small so that no-one feels too overwhelmed and everyone gets a chance to have their say.
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But we do have a few laces left for this coming term. So please do get in touch, if this sounds of interest at all.
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Contact us via the link in our bio or DM. Thank you.

We’ve had a Spring writers’ retreat this after

We’ve had a Spring writers’ retreat this afternoon - even though we had snow earlier.
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These workshops are opportunities for some of our older writers to pause and reflect. We create some space to take a deeper dive into subjects they want to explore more. It’s an opportunity too to do some quiet reflective writing and thinking.
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And pretty much always, the conversation will dive off in an unexpected direction. This time: Marvel films.
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But always such a rewarding time and an absolutely great way to spend an afternoon.

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