WHAT IS A SQUAD?

The Young People’s Writing Squads have been developed over the past decade by Academi in association with the local authorities in Wales. The Squads aim to locate gifted young writers – in both English and Welsh – in each authority region and introduce them to some of Wales’ leading writers, and teachers of writing. Young People’s Writing Squads welcome selected children whose creative writing shows particular ability and promise. Usually this selection has been made by the age of 9 or 10, with head teachers in each authority identifying keen and gifted young writers. Advisors conduct the final selections and each Squad of children meets on average three or four times a year (usually on Saturdays) for special training sessions with outstanding writers who have the necessary communication skills to work with the young writers. The aim is to keep each Squad together until the end of their schooldays.

Since its beginning in 1996, the first Gwent Squad has been followed by Squads from all over Wales. The original Squad covered the then county of Gwent and local authority advisers Claire Watkins and Stafford Sherlock enthusiastically helped with the first pilot meetings, initiated by Academi's Schemes Officer Bob Mole. Gillian Clarke led the first ever session and was followed by Robert Minhinnick. Following local government reorganisation in 1996, new authorities in Newport, Torfaen, Monmouthshire and Blaenau Gwent soon set up Squads of their own. The original Gwent Squad continued to meet for a while afterwards but, before long, with no local authority base, it ceased to convene. Meanwhile, Academi, in collaboration with the new authorities, took the idea forward. A number of education authorities now have more than one Squad, working in both Welsh and English.

The Squads are increasingly being seen as an important part of the literary scene in Wales. The Hay Festival runs a major series of children’s events with the Young People’s Writing Squad members very much in mind. Academi organises a range of workshop sessions on The National Eisteddfod Maes with leading Welsh language writers. A body of tutors has now been developed with experience of working with these talented children, including Francesca Kay, Robert Minhinnick, Jenny Sulllivan, Mererid Hopwood, Iwan Llwyd and Ceri Wyn Jones. The former Poet Laureate, Andrew Motion, has worked with the Cardiff Squad and Benjamin Zephaniah has visited the Caerphilly Squad.

Academi aims to develop the Writing Squads further and hopes to have established Squads in every local authority by the end of 2009. Academi also aims to set up a Wales-wide Writing Squad for disabled members in partnership with Disability Arts Cymru and new Writing Squads working in other languages, especially in Urdu and Somali. 

Academi’s ACW Beacon Company Award 2008-2010

In October 2008, Academi was awarded a Beacon Company Award by the Arts Council of Wales which secured additional funding for the development of the Young People’s Writing Squads. Academi’s Chief Executive Peter Finch said: “Young People’s Writing Squads catch the best we have at an early age and engage them with the world of writing books. They are the future. They need all the encouragement we can give them.”

An ambitious new programme of activities for the Young People’s Writing Squads in 2009 has included events at the Hay Festival, the National Eisteddfod in Bala, a collaborative project with the National Poet of Wales, Gillian Clarke and poetry film workshops in collaboration with writer Mererid Hopwood as part of an international Wales-India project, supported by Wales Arts International and the British Council Wales.

We’re currently developing a regular newsletter for squad members and organisers, to bring the squads closer together and enable them to share information on events, examples of work, teaching techniques and latest news.

Academi offers funding to local authorities to set up new Young People’s Writing Squads. Teachers, librarians or education advisers wishing to establish new squads in their authority are particularly encouraged to get in touch with Academi for advice and assistance.

For more information on how the squads operate and what they do, please contact Elena Schmitz (Project Manager) elena@academi.org or Branwen Williams (Project Support Officer) branwen@academi.org 

About the Beacon Company Award

In November 2007, the Welsh Assembly Government allocated £4.5m to be used by the Arts Council of Wales to reward companies or individuals who showed innovation and excellence in the arts. It was a privilege for the Academi to receive one of these Beacon Company Awards in October 2008, which secured funding to develop the Young People Writing Squads. The money will also be utilised to develop a literary tourism programme, including literary bus tours and plaques for significant Welsh writers. Academi will additionally enhance the successful National Poet initiative with its Beacon funding.