Latest news with #CuriousMinds
BBC News
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Independent Worcester bookshop launches children's festival
An independent bookshop has launched a children's literature festival, the first in its city, with every event being "pay as you feel".Script Haven in Worcester will host the Curious Minds festival, which starts on Sunday and runs until Friday 18 of the bookshop and former Worcestershire poet laureate, Leena Batchelor, said the pay-as-you-feel option for the event was to make the festival as accessible as possible for families."It's really difficult sometimes when faced with the question of whether to spend money on bills or on a book. Books are seen as expensive options," she said. Families can pay whatever they want for any of the events or pay nothing at all. They include sessions with children's authors, illustrators, and poets, and attendees can also try their hand at creative Jonathan Goodwin will also perform a one-man adaptation of the classic H.G. Wells time travel tale, The Time books and gifts are also available for people at the while there are age guidelines for the events, Ms Batchelor said: "It doesn't mean adults can't come - we're all young at heart." She opened the independent bookshop in 2023 to promote independent authors and get the community to engage with the shop is hosting other festivals and events, Ms Batchelor noticed that there were very few literary events for children and young people nationally, as well as in Worcester."Fewer than 10% of literature festivals are for young people," she the importance of reading for children and young people, she added: "It's a brilliant way of escaping from every day and actually enhancing your life skills without realising it - communicating, nurturing empathy, educational benefits - purely just by loving and reading books."Ms Batchelor said the festival was a safe place for children to express their own creative skills. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
11-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Wigan band The Lathums say music industry tough for working class
Wigan chart-toppers The Lathums have said working class musicians have a tougher time trying to succeed in the music industry as many have "nothing to fall back on". Frontman Alex Moore said growing up the band had few opportunities in music and the expectation was to "get your trades, get your qualifications, go and get an apprenticeship or a job". It comes after singer-songwriter Sam Fender from North Shields told the Sunday Times the industry was "rigged" against artists from working class backgrounds due to the costs involved."For us, if this fails, that's it, we've got nothing to fall back on. I think it's always been the same, money and position changes everything," Moore said. "We're doing really well, and we're making a life out of it, we're making a career, but in terms of opportunity and stuff like that, of course its going to be easier for people in certain circles", the lead singer said. "The BRIT [Award] winners, quite a lot of them were private school kids, and obviously there's the chance that you don't succeed, you're going to be OK and not going to be on dole or anything," bassist Matty Murphy band, who have a huge local following in their hometown and recently released their third studio album Matter Does Not Define, can count a hen do and a 70th birthday party for one of the band's grandparents as some of their first shows. Five years later they took to the stage in front of thousands of fans in their hometown at the Robin Park Arena after producing two chart-topping albums."We progress all the time each album we do, you learn more and get more experience like any profession really – we've matured as people and as musicians," Moore said. 'Something real' Away from music, the band have set up a fund with Wigan-based arts charity, Curious Minds, to help young people in the town get access the creative partnership sees the band play charity shows with all the proceeds going towards creative activities and programmes for young people. "It's about putting instruments in kids hands and having a safe space to go," Moore said: "It feels good to have something real, where you're actually helping people rather than thinking 'oh were sorted now, we can just do whatever we wanted' "We don't want to really be like that, want to put something good back into the world."I think everybody should be allowed equal opportunities – music is always an escape, especially for the working class." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
