Suburban Sounds

Suburban Sounds is an evening-course in music which is open to young people (aged 14- 18yrs) with a passion for song writing, music composition and/or music performance. Course sessions take place every two weeks and participants are chosen on the basis of application (see below).It is hosted by South Dublin County Arts Office, in association with South Dublin Rock School and RUA RED and runs from October 2010 to April 2011.
Deadline for applications is Friday 15th October


http://suburbansounds.org/

Flash Fiction

We also had a go at doing some six word stories... the warm up was to tell the story of Snow White in six words... here's how we got on

Happy ending, sad middle and start - by Róisín

Female coma victim awakens when kissed - by Caitriona

Lost beautiful maiden finds her prince - by Fariya

Princess lives with seven dwarves.... Aaanyway... - by Thomas

From the character's point of view

Today we swapped distinguishing features, locations and emotions, and used the combinations that emerged to make a story using the characters own voice. This is the one that Fariya came up with:

"One cup, two cup, three cup, four cup, five, pink flower cup, purple flower, polka dot cup. I love love love love cups.

They are all I breathe for, all I yearn for. I admire them deeply, their round shapes open at the top where you can pour hot liquids in. It's amazing because not a single drop falls. It just stays there. The liquid swirling in my cup, as I shake the cup lightly, breath taking, absolutely mesmerising. That is why I love cups. I live among them inside our sacred cupboard, me and my dozens of cups.

If you intrude into my sacred cupboard you will feel the wrath of my extremely bushy hair. Once you are lost in my bushy hair you lose your head. Inside my secret cupboard, my beautiful warriors of easily breakable china cups will be your destruction.

Daily I protect the cups from the hands of you ignorant humans. How clumsily you drop them, and they break, but not anymore, for I love my babies and one day we shall rule the world.

Tea for everyone.

One cup, two cup, three cup, four."

Unreality

A poem from today's group - coming from a 2 object exercise


Unreality

The playfulness of soft animals
is lost to me now.
Tides of time have passed
As I return to where I began
Alone.
Family is gone, friends I've lost
the trappings of a futile reality
are all washed away in the wind.
I fear the end yet am happy
for the closure I recieve
has been long awaited
In cold dark seas
As the world ends.


by Tom

South County Dublin Arts Strategy Needs You!!!

South Dublin County Council's Arts Office is planning its Art Strategy for the County for the next 5 years.
The strategy is a document that lists the Arts Office's plans for supporting artists, communities, adults and young people to take part in the arts.
We welcome young people, ages 13 – 25, to use http://www.noisesouthdublin.com to let South Dublin County Council's Arts Office know what you think!
Use writing, photographs, drawings, videos, music and more! To help you along...here are some questions to think about:
1. What do you need in order to take part in the arts in South Dublin County?
2. What do you need in order to get a job in the arts?
3. What kinds of arts activities do you take part in? What activities would you like to see more of?
We are also inviting young people to participate in a discussion about needs and interests in specific art forms on the following days:

FILM: Thursday, July 29th 5 – 7pm, RUA RED
MUSIC: Weds, 1 – 2:30pm, RUA RED
THEATRE/DANCE/DRAMA: Weds, 3 – 4:30pm RUA RED

Please contact Tori at vdurrer@sdublincoco.ie to register your interest and more details will be sent on. BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL FOR THESE EVENTS

This Sounds Interesting

A new online magazine for young poets

Check it out here:

http://www.ympoetry.org/

Dublin: A City of Literature

Jane Alger from Dublin City Council is looking for a few lines (under 300 words ideally) from contemporary writers in Dublin to put on a forthcoming website dublincityofliterature.com.

It's part of Dublin's application for UNESCO City of Literature campaign. If you feel like offering any thoughts on your experiences as a writer in Dublin at the moment, good/bad/indifferent, you can send an email to her with your comments.

Her email is jane (dot) alger (at) dublincity (dot) ie. You can put "City of Literature/Writing in Dublin" in your subject line so she can identify you.

(If you consider yourself a young writer - include your age, they are interested in having perspectives from various age groups)

Back this saturday for more writing fun at the usual time, usual place!

2010 series of summer camps at Fighting Words.

aimed at different age groups from 7 to 17 years. As always the camps are free > of charge, but places are limited and are expected to book up quickly. If your children or children/teenagers you know would like a place then please send an email to info@fightingwords.ie and we will be in touch soon after.

Summer Camps at Fighting Words

Graphic Novel
10-13 year olds
Monday 5th July - Thursday 8th July

Playwriting and Performance Art
14-17 year olds
Monday 12th July - Thursday 15th July

Playwriting and Performance Art
7-9 year olds
Tuesday 20th - Thursday 22nd July


Songwriting
14-17 year olds
Monday 26th July - Thursday 29th July


Radio Broadcasting
7-9 year olds
Tuesday 3rd August - Thursday 5th August

Photography and Creative Writing
10-13 year olds
Monday 9th August - Thursday 12th August

Mobile Movie
14-17 year olds
Monday 16th August - Thursday 19th August

Fiction Writing
14-17 year olds
Tuesday 24th August - Friday 27th August

It will be an exciting summer at Fighting Words!

A villanelle in my mind

I spend my time in my mind

Where the sun is black, the moon is read

And frogs enjoy swinging on the vines

My thoughts will dance around my head

They say being normal is a crime

I spend my time in my mind

Things are strange in my mind

There’s someone playing drums, whose name is Fred

And frogs enjoy swinging on the vines

In my mind my ideas are fed

I spend my time in my mind

And frogs enjoy swinging on the vines

A Rainy Villanelle

I always seem to see the rain

It’s going to kill me soon

I mean, what does it gain?

It’s giving me a pain,

Let me tell you,

I always seem to see the rain.

Look at the lovely plants I’ve lain

Drowning with the monsoon

I mean, what does it gain?

I always seem to see the rain

A Villanelle on not knowing what to say

I am writing a villanelle

I don’t know what to say

Oh I should say I’m wearing Chanel

I’m not an angel

I have a friend called Fay

My friends are all Angels from Hell

I fell

I fell the other day

I fell into a cell

My cell was in Kells

Kells is in Meath, is what they say.

I am writing a villanelle

And I don’t know what to say.

A Forest Villanelle

Here's the second in our series of specially adapted Honey Fungus style Villanelles... enjoy

I love the forest in which the animals dwell

Where the trees are oh so tall

I those woods I feel so swell

I hate the city it feels like hell

I hate the city, I hate the mall

I love the forest in which the animals dwell

I hate those places where I feel

Like I’m away and not at home at all

I love the forest in which the animals dwell

In those woods I feel so swell

Villan-elle - Dog v's Sister Jane

Today in Group we experimented with the Villanelle form - of course adapting and fitting it suit ourselves, and we got some pretty nice results - which we'll be showcasing here over the next couple of weeks, so here's the first:

That dog is on that chair over there,
Sister Jane can't adjust,
It's strange because that chair is usually bare.

Sister Jane goes to the chair,
She feels fit to combust,
That dog is sitting there, its coat full and fair.

Her mouth holds traces of smiles being rare
She is melting, turns to rust
That dog is on that chair over there,
It's strange because that chair is usually bare.

Creating a Peaceful World - Essay Contest

My Role in Creating a Peaceful World

Young people from around the world are invited to enter the 2010 International Essay Contest for Young People organized by the Goi Peace Foundation and UNESCO.
The theme of the 2010 International Essay Contest for Young People is: "My role in creating a peaceful world”.

What is your vision of a peaceful and harmonious world?
What can you and the young people of the world do to realize that vision?

The deadline for entry is June 30, 2010

http://www.goipeace.or.jp/english/index.html

NOISE Flicks Festival

Meet Nicky Phelan, Director/Designer, Brown Bag Films at this year's NOISE Flicks Festival! Watch a screening of Brown Bag's Oscar-nominated short animation, Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty and ask Nicky Phelan about the making of the film and his experience in the film/animation industry! NOISE Flicks is on March 20th, 6pm at RUA RED, South Dublin Arts Centre. Call RUA RED at 01 451 5860 to book tickets!
Tickets are 5 euro. It is highly recommended to book tickets in advance. Watch films made by young aspiring filmmakers. This year's entries are fantastic! They include, a robbery getaway, unique brothers who argue quietly, a Taoiseach who takes his power too far, amazing butterflies, dancing and more!
Awards are given in two age categories: 14 to 18 and 19 to 25. This year's awards will be presented by Sheila de Courcy, Commissioning Editor, Young Peoples' Programmes, RTE!
More information available at: www.noisesouthdublin.com NOISE Flicks 2010
Judges:
KEN WARDROP: Ken's short films and recent first feature have played at festivals throughout the world including Sundance and Cannes. In 2004 Ken Wardrop’s graduation film, “Undressing my Mother”, became one of the most successful Irish short films of all time, winning over 25 international awards including a European Film Academy Award. His first feature, called 'His and Hers' recently won awards at Sundance and an IFTA for best documentary feature!
SHANE HOGAN: Shane is co-founder of Areaman Productions with Tom Burke and they recently co-directed 'The Liberties', which aired on RTE One in September 2009. For over a decade Shane Hogan was Paris Producer of Fashion Television and has also worked for Entertainment Tonight at Cannes Film Festival, World Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards & Laureus Sports Awards and Tennis Channel during the French Open tennis at Roland Garros.
GERRY GILVARY: Gerry is Lecturer in Video/Television Production at the Institute of Technology, Tallaght.
The festival is initiated and funded by South Dublin County Council’s Arts Office and supported by IT Tallaght; RUA RED, South Dublin Arts Centre; RTE 2 and the Arts Council.

Creative Writing Competition 2010

The Secretary General of the United Nations is summoning world leaders to a meeting on the Millennium Development Goals and you have agreed to address them. What will you say?

Five years and counting

In the year 2000, world leaders made eight solemn promises to the developing world. They stated that by the year 2015, key targets in the areas of poverty, health, education and the environment will be achieved.

The challenge

Imagine yourself before the United Nations General Assembly in front of 192 Heads of State. The President of the assembly introduces you to loud applause. The hall goes quiet as they await your words…

• Submit your essay

Your task

Choose just one of the eight goals and send us the speech you would give to world leaders on it. Remember to be creative!

Here are the categories:

Junior

• Age 12 – 15 years
• Maximum 1,000 words

Senior

• Age 16 – 18 years
• Maximum 1,500 words

Adult

• Age 19+
• Maximum 1,500 words

Prizes

There will be prizes awarded in each category, with special awards for the best entries from third-level, community and adult education sectors.

• First prize in each category is a netbook
• Second prize in each category is an e-reader
• Third prize in each category is an mp3 player

See here for more

http://www.concern.net/get-involved/schools/concern-writing-competition

Our Radio Show

Click here for the very excellent Radio Show broadcasted on Sunday last to celebrate our 2nd anniversary. Hope you enjoy...

Honey Fungus on the Radio

We're on the Radio this weekend !! Yes, we'll be guests of honour on Liffey Sound's fabulous weekly writer based radio show "The Sunday Scrapbook". Tune in at 4pm on Sunday to hear us read our work, and discuss the theme "The Life of a Teenager" with Niamh B the presenter (and coincidentally our secretary, who is actually posting up this notification herself - fair play to me :-))
Should be a great show - hope you can join us then.

Listowel - young writers' competition

Kerry County Council Creative Writing Competitions for Youth




Competition Details
Submissions may be in the form of poems, short stories or essays. Name and address of entrant, school and age category should appear on each entry, particularly if submitting more than one entry.

Prize
€1,500

Categories
Creative Writing for 9 years and under
Maximum 300 words


Creative Writing for 12 years and under
Maximum 500 words


Creative Writing for 14 years and under
Maximum 500 words


Creative Writing for 16 years and under
Maximum 1,000 words


Creative Writing for 18 years and under
Maximum 1,000 words


Sponsor
Kerry County Council

Entry Fee
Free


Rules
1. The Closing Date for receipt of entries is:
Friday 26th February 2010.



2. Entries must not have been previously published.



3. Entries must be typed



4. Please retain a copy, as entries shall not be returned.



5. Please submit your name and contact details on a separate sheet. No indication of the entrant's identity should appear on the competition entry (with the exception of The Kerry County Council Creative Writing Competition for Youth).



6. Entries may be in Irish or in English / Is féidir iontrálacha a bheith i mBéarla nó i nGaeilge.



7. Please identify the specific competition for which you are entering on the outside of the envelope.



8. The appropriate entry fee must be included with each entry; otherwise the entry will not be adjudicated.



9. An unlimited number of entries may be submitted for the competitions with the exception of The Seanchaí/Storytelling competition and The Fiction Slam Competition



10. The adjudicator's verdict is final.



11. Winners only will be notified.



12. No correspondence shall be entered into regarding competition entries.



13. Awards may not be presented where an appropriate standard is not achieved.



14. Writers' Week reserves the right to withhold or to publish winning entries in the publication "Winners' Anthology 2010".



15. Payments can be made by cheque (payable to Writers' Week Ltd) or by Laser/Credit Card (fee of €4 per transaction for Credit Card and fee of €2 for Laser Card). Please do not send cash.



Submit Entries To
Kerry County Council Creative Writing Competitions for Youth
Writers' Week Ltd
24 The Square
Listowel
Kerry
Ireland

The Squirrel

The most violent creature in the forest - let out a horrible sound that burst the ear drums of all humans.
"Aaaaagh!" screamed everyone who saw the evil squirrel. "It's going to fly right at us"
Then the squirrel suddenly jumped on top of Tom and started nibbling on him.
"Ouch!" shouted Tom, trying to swot the squirrel away, but the squirrel was intent on going for his eyes...

Short Story Competition for Teenagers!!!!

Library Branch: Newbridge Community Library, Newbridge

Email: newbridgelib@kildarecoco.ie Telephone: 045 448353

Deadline: 30 January 2010

Newbridge Community Library is hosting a Short Story Competition for Young Adults between 15 and 18 years.

Judge: Mae Leonard

Theme: Libraries / Books.

Entries should be type written and less than 1200 words.

1st Prize will consist of a €50 Easons Voucher, 2nd Prize a €25 voucher.