I co-ordinate the Bolsover Lantern Parade for Junction Arts – 30 November 2014 was my 4th year of running this fantastic event and the lanterns were amazing, from dragons to racing cars to a swarm of bees. We run lantern-making workshops in Bolsover over 3 weekends in November and also in the four local schools – it’s a real community event. This year we had a record turn-out, approx 1000 people in the parade and about 3000 at the event overall.
As well as the Lantern Parade, I’ve been running 12 landscape arts projects as part of the HLF-funded Limestone Journeys programme, also for Junction Arts. We just finished delivering a poetry and illustration anthology ‘Common Ground’ working with 1 volunteer (Debbie Watkins), 2 secondary schools (Heritage High and Shirebrook Academy), 4 artists (Pippa Hennessy from 5 Leaves Press, Andrew ‘Mulletproof Poet’ Graves, Liz Cashden and Gabriella Slade) and about 55 Year 8 pupils (aged 13). It’s been an amazing project and obviously very close to my heart. The launch event on Friday 5 December was an opportunity for parents and funders to pick up a copy of the book, see the artwork and listen to the readings by the students. They were all brilliant and I was so impressed with their work. As was Helen Mort (Derbyshire Poet Laureate) who kindly wrote the foreword to the book. Download a copy for free here: http://www.lulu.com/shop/shirebrook-heritage/common-ground/ebook/product-21925312.html
Aly Stoneman 
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