The Creative Mind – Lemn Sissay at Huddersfield Literature Festival

The Huddersfield Literature Festival, together with WOVEN and other partners have commissioned an animated film and handmade banner to explore ideas around creativity and mental wellbeing.

The 2.1m x 1.2m giant handmade banner features Lemn Sissay’s contribution to the animated film and will be unveiled at an event with the poet and Festival Patron at 6.30pm on Wednesday 11 March at the University of Huddersfield. Organised by the University’s School of Human and Health Sciences, the event will see Lemn Sissay talking about and reading extracts from his critically acclaimed, bestselling book: My Name Is Why: A Memoir. Tickets for the event are free and can be booked through the University at: https://bit.ly/2GKVJfR.

The banner was commissioned from the One World Craft Group, where refugees and local people get together to create beautiful craft work reflecting shared ideas and talent from a broad range of cultural backgrounds.

The three-minute animated short has been created by award-winning Huddersfield company, Fettle Animation, as part of the Festival project: The Creative Mind, which explores ideas around creativity and mental wellbeing.

The film is a partnership between the Festival and Words in Mind, a National Lottery funded project run by TSL Kirklees, which helps local community groups, care homes, hospitals and libraries work with volunteers to host therapeutic reading groups. These groups use extracts from all kinds of books, poetry and writing to help people connect with memories and emotions, and promote good mental health, using a process called creative bibliotherapy. There will be two free Bibliotherapy sessions run by Words in Mind during the Festival (on 21 March and 24 March).