Lancaster’s newest cafe will be hosting an evening celebrating the prose form to raise funds for Issue 2 of Lancaster’s newest arts project, Back&Beyond.
The Novel Cafe, in New Street, will play host to an evening of prose, long and short, performed by actors and with an informal prose forum.
On the bill are local creatives Brindley Hallam Dennis, Steve Longstaffe, Sarah Schofield, Angela Martin, Katherine Jane Learmonth, Eliza Mood, Simon Baker, and Hendryk Korzeniowski.
“It’s our first bi-monthly event to raise money for Back&Beyond‘s printing costs,” explains Back&Beyond edtor Mollie Baxter. “Copies of Issue 1 will be available free on the night.”
Back&Beyond is a new publication that celebrates and promotes the arts, culture and heritage in Lancaster, Morecambe and beyond. It combines fiction and non-fiction writing together with profiles of local artists, projects and organisations.
“Through Back&Beyond we aim to make people more aware of the enormous wealth of creativity, cultural capital and heritage in the area,” enthuses Mollie, “to bring new and established work to light, and to help local artists and practitioners to promote their craft and to reach a wider audience.
“We hope that the launch of our first edition will be the springboard to establishing a regular publication for the arts an culture in the area.
“Please come along to show your support not only for Back&Beyond, but also the prose form”
Mollie feels it’s a prose performance and promotion is under threat from a lack of public exposure as both arts bodies and broadcasters scale back their budgets. “Another blow comes with the announcement that Radio 4 is going to cut short stories from three to one a week,” she notes.
• The Story Forum: 6.00pm – 8.30pm, Tuesday 26th July 2011, The Novel Cafe, New Street, Lancaster. £5 or £4 unwaged. Doors open at 6pm. Show starts at 6.30pm. More info: mollieATmolliebaxter.com
• Download the first issue of Back&Beyond from the official web site