Verbal Arts Centre
Encyclopedia
The Verbal Arts Centre is based in Derry
, County Londonderry
, Northern Ireland
, and is a centre for the development of the verbal arts and literacy
(i.e. the ability to read, write, communicate (talking & listening) and comprehend). It was established in 1992 as an educational charity. In 2000 it moved to the refurbished First Derry School, a listed building on the city’s walls, in Bishop Street.
It focuses on promotion of all aspects of the written and spoken word and is also involved in research and the publication and provision of information, including material for schools. It has also developed literacy building programmes for schools, works on literary heritage, storytelling and works also with youth and community groups throughout the north-west. The Centre coordinates the annual 2D Festival which is the largest comic book festival on the island of Ireland.2d
The centre publishes bi-monthly Verbal Magazine which has a circulation of over 235,000 and is the largest free literary magazine in Ireland. Launched in January 2007, Verbal is devoted to books, authors, reading and the arts in general. The publication is free of charge and is an important showcase for writers, publishers, poets, critics and everyone involved in the Arts.
As part of its work in developing the oral heritage of the area the centre developed with support from Heritage Lottery FundVerbal.fm
It also promotes verbal arts events.
The centre has rooms for hire for meetings and events and has a cafe (Bloom's cafe on the walls) which can be accessed from the Walls of Derry. A readers circle and children's book club are also in operation. It has integrated a number of arts and crafts pieces in the building including works by Louis le Brocquy
and John Behan
.
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
, County Londonderry
County Londonderry
The place name Derry is an anglicisation of the old Irish Daire meaning oak-grove or oak-wood. As with the city, its name is subject to the Derry/Londonderry name dispute, with the form Derry preferred by nationalists and Londonderry preferred by unionists...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, and is a centre for the development of the verbal arts and literacy
Literacy
Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently and think critically about printed material.Literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from print...
(i.e. the ability to read, write, communicate (talking & listening) and comprehend). It was established in 1992 as an educational charity. In 2000 it moved to the refurbished First Derry School, a listed building on the city’s walls, in Bishop Street.
It focuses on promotion of all aspects of the written and spoken word and is also involved in research and the publication and provision of information, including material for schools. It has also developed literacy building programmes for schools, works on literary heritage, storytelling and works also with youth and community groups throughout the north-west. The Centre coordinates the annual 2D Festival which is the largest comic book festival on the island of Ireland.2d
The centre publishes bi-monthly Verbal Magazine which has a circulation of over 235,000 and is the largest free literary magazine in Ireland. Launched in January 2007, Verbal is devoted to books, authors, reading and the arts in general. The publication is free of charge and is an important showcase for writers, publishers, poets, critics and everyone involved in the Arts.
As part of its work in developing the oral heritage of the area the centre developed with support from Heritage Lottery FundVerbal.fm
It also promotes verbal arts events.
The centre has rooms for hire for meetings and events and has a cafe (Bloom's cafe on the walls) which can be accessed from the Walls of Derry. A readers circle and children's book club are also in operation. It has integrated a number of arts and crafts pieces in the building including works by Louis le Brocquy
Louis le Brocquy
Louis le Brocquy is an Irish painter born in Dublin. His work has received many accolades in a career that spans seventy years of creative practice...
and John Behan
John Behan (sculptor)
John Behan is an Irish sculptor from Dublin.He helped establish the Project Arts Centre, Dublin in 1967 and the Dublin Art Foundry. Notable sculptures include "Arrival", commissioned by the Irish Government and presented to the UN in 2000 and "Wings of the World" in Shenzhen, China, 1991...
.