The Manchester City of Literature Community Champions programme engages communities in Greater Manchester that are not accessing literature on their own terms.

In 2021, the programme’s initial year, three Champions worked across Rusholme, Harpurhey and Moston; and Longsight. Champions were selected who are already established in and have strong relationships to their local community.

The aim of the programme is that champions act as a bridge between the communities and literature in its broadest sense. To do this Manchester City of Literature provide resource and tools to enable champions to creatively co-design programmes with the communities they’re working with.

In its first year over 18 workshops were delivered across the three locations, with over 140 participants introduced to the ‘whole world of literature’. Forms of literature that have so far been explored include: Journaling, journalism, poetry, a book club, drama, memoir, fiction and music.

“The end of my week was tough, coming to your event enabled me to just write and express myself. I found new creativity and new friends. I loved all of it.” – Participant

Over 70% of participants have expressed improved sense of wellbeing after the sessions. More than 86% of participants felt excited by the wider world of literature going forward.

 

Meet the Manchester City of Literature Community Champions

Jackie Bailey

A life coach and creative practitioner, Jackie, founder of BEE You! Personal Development Ltd, is passionate about supporting people to embrace arts and literature, of course for enjoyment, also as effective ways of enhancing personal development and wellbeing.

Jackie’s work as a literary champion focuses on working with over 40’s intergenerational members of predominantly Pentecostal churches in Manchester, who are mostly people of colour who might not read for leisure and might only read religious texts. Jackie is also working with female carers through African Caribbean care groups.

Jackie was nominated for a 2023 Manchester Cultural Award for her work with us and you can find out more about her here.

Nasima Begum

Nasima Begum (aka Nasima Bee on stage) is a performance poet, producer, actor and creative practitioner. She’s a trustee for Young Identity. Nasima is also a newly appointed patron for Contact theatre. Nasima uses art as a means of activism and her work is an exploration of the everyday through a personal lens that connects to its audience. Nasima writes about loss, the feminine and spirituality.

Nasima’s work as a literary champion focuses on working with young South Asian women and girls, parents and migrants.

Find out more about Nasima’s work here.

Louise Fazackerley

Louise Fazackerley is a poet from the Northern streets of Orwell’s Wigan.  In performance she explores the synergy between poetry and movement.  Her socially conscious writing makes the ugly beautiful and the mundane fantastical.

Louise’s work as a literary champion focuses on working with primary school children in Moston, Manchester as well as their parents and carers.

Find out more about Louise’s work here.

 

Community Champions next stages

Our community champions have contributed to embedding community-lead activity into Manchester City of Literature standard way of working, as well as creating a toolkit for activating further champions to continue the work with their own communities which will soon be available to download on this page.

Community Champion Jackie Bailey developed her Manchester City of Literature Community Champion work to partner with Manchester Metropolitan University on the NHS Windrush Stories project, which you can find out more about below.

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