Janet Swann of ‘A Good Read’ gave a talk recently at our AGM about their ‘Clarets Creative Project' . 'A Good Read' is a not for profit company working with the local community to advance reading and story-telling for well-being.

The Trust are hoping to help Janet in the promotion of the project within the Clarets community and we provide some details of the presentation she gave below together with details of the Workhops to be held during the first week commencing 19th July

Presentation Given by Janet Swann of A Good Read Ltd to Clarets Trust AGM Saturday 12th June

Clarets Creative – A heritage lottery funded project led by A Good Read Ltd in partnership with Lancashire Care NHS Trust, Lancashire County Council and Burnley Borough Council.

Background

Football in Burnley has a long and proud tradition – Burnley was one of the first towns in the country with its own football club and is a founder member of the Football League. However it is also the smallest town ever to have a club in the Premiership. These events have been reflected in the mood of the town as supporters and non supporters agree: “when the club are doing well, the town feels like a positive place to be”.

The heritage that the project focuses on

Oral histories and cultural traditions of Burnley Football Club (also known as the "Clarets").

In particular:

 Memories: for example linked to club highs and lows, and of specific seasons (such as when Burnley won the league in 1959/60)
Cultural traditions: for example stories, songs and chants and match day rituals and superstitions. Also Collections of objects: for example club strips, programmes, photographs or rattles

An arts and health project

Clarets Creative is primarily an “arts and health” project based on the memories and experience of being a clarets supporter and drawing together characters, rituals and superstitions associated with the club. Utilising local services, clubs and artists we will promote social inclusion both for those experiencing mental health issues and the whole community: opening up arts for football fans and football for those involved in the arts, while at the same time promoting creativity as an important tool for maintaining mental well-being.

The aims of the project

• To preserve the songs, stories and memories of Burnley FC
• To promote social inclusion: bringing people with mental health problems into contact with members of the wider community via the medium of various art forms as they link to football
• To produce an exhibition at Towneley Hall in Burnley of stories, songs, pictures, photographs and other art work that comes out of the project (Nov-Dec 2011)
• To create a web site of art work that comes out of the project
• To create a set of football cards, telling the stories of clarets fans
• To provide a volunteering opportunity for 12 people over the period of the project 

More information is available also by clicking the following links:

Clarets Creative Flyer

Clarets Creative Workshop-19th to 24th July 2010

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For more information contact Janet Swan on 01282 414287 or 07777 686648. A Good Read Ltd:

A not for profit company working with the local community to advance reading and story-telling for well-being.