The Young People’s Laureate for London Tour 2018 is coming to Barking this month, offering residents aged 13 to 25 the opportunity to develop their creative talents and poetry skills.

Barking Learning Centre will be hosting the session on 26 July from 5.30pm to 7.30pm, which will see young people invited to work with local library staff to develop, plan, market and deliver a poetry event to be held in October 2018.

The Young People’s Laureate for London Tour 2018 is a series of youth poetry events that are taking place across five outer-London boroughs between April and October this year. 

They involve workshops, performances and open mic opportunities, to showcase libraries as a hub for engaging young people with poetry.

Councillor Sade Bright, Cabinet Member for Employment, Skills and Aspiration, is hopeful that a number of the borough’s youngsters will take part in the event:

“I am sure that we have a number of talented poets in Barking and Dagenham,” she said.

“It may be that some young people have a real flair for poetry, but haven’t yet had the opportunity to put their linguistic skills to the test.

“That’s why I would encourage anyone with an interest in embracing their creative side to head down to Barking Learning Centre on 26 July, and make the most of this opportunity.”