The street scene in Hebden Bridge has been recorded by children from the town's Riverside School this week in preparation for one of the key events of this year's Arts Festival.

The "Poetry Shop" installation is "a place where poetry has escaped from the page and onto the walls." It features an oversized chair covered with a map of the town, complete with speakers in the headrest delivering poems and answerphone messages from writers around the world. The whole concept is the work of local artist Jane Revitt, with Lizzie Lockhart, and is a special Hebden Bridge version of the "Poetry Lounge" which was made for the Royal festival Hall in 2002.

And the children? Well, they are working with renowned poet John Hegley, and the artists, to explore the place in which they live by making drawings, taking photos and writing poems to be made into picture postcards. These will then form a part of the Poetry Shop, which is billed as "a place to experience poetry, by international poets, children's authors and illustrators, and local children, in unexpected ways."

If you would like to be a part of this work of art, John Hegley is leading a "Work-and-Play-Shop on May 21st at the Little Theatre. This "reasonably fun evening," as he describes it, runs from 7 to 9 p.m. and participants must be over 15. Places are limited and to book leave your contact details on 0422 842684 and the organisers will call you back.

The Poetry Shop will be located in the Arts Festival Office on Albert Street for the whole of this year's Hebden Bridge Arts Festival, which runs from June 19th to July 4th. Full details of this and all Festival events are contained in the little black and pink programme which is now available from shops and public counters.

ROGER MUNDAY
roger.munday@3-c.coop