Love reading? Want to receive free Penguin books every month to read and review, before they even hit the shelves?  

Spinebreakers is a nationwide online book community where teens can share their passion for reading and get creative.

Sign up to join the crew at www.spinebreakers.co.uk/crew and you’ll receive free books every month to read and review, get the chance to meet big-name authors, have your work published on the site, and win big prizes. You can influence literary history with your reviews, and share your own creative work, from poetry to podcasts, video diaries to illustrations. 

You’ll also be invited to attend monthly editorial meetings at Penguin HQ, and be given access to exclusive literary events.

Here’s what Lily, one of the Spinebreakers crew, has to say about the community:

“Way back in 2007, my English teacher suggested sending a piece of creative writing for the chance to be involved in something English-related. Little did I know that by sending off the short story I had written for coursework, would then open up the opportunities for a seemingly endless supply of books, to meet likeminded young people passionate about literature, and attend some really interesting and worthwhile events on behalf of Spinebreakers.

Six years on, and I’ve made some great friends, and experienced some things I never would have outside of Spinebreakers. The highlight for me has to have been asked to be on the first youth panel for the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2009. It was such a surreal experience to be sitting around talking about literature with the founder of the prize, and author, Kate Mosse.

Another amazing opportunity was, last summer, being giving a copy of a book still going through the editing process and giving feedback directly to the author and editor on things that worked, or didn’t, as the book is aimed at young people.

I now read English at University, and I definitely believe my experience through Spinebreakers helped me get there. I’m getting a bit too old for Spinebreakers, so before I grow senile, I implore you to join, as I can guarantee you’ll have as much, if not more, fun as I have had.”

somewhereto_ think this is a great space to meet other like-minded people. If you need space to write, to read or maybe start your own publishing business - then get in touch with somewhereto_ here!

In his poem, A Question of Identity, poet Stephen Spender’s character takes a good hard long look at himself, trying to work out who he was and what he was all about. At one moment he questions whether he nothing but a space on a page “yearning for some asterisks”. We know its a little early in the morning to be getting all metaphysical, philosophical and perhaps a wee bit melodramatic; but there is a point to this, pinky swear.

At the end of the poem, Spender concluded that it was his actions, not solely the people in his life or physical attributes that defined him. He sees himself as a library, holding books with “chapters left unwritten/That blazed with nothing…nothing except him/…Nothing but his great name and his great deeds”

You too are a library of unwritten chapters (for real). Ultimately you are also the sum of your actions, and you are responsible for acting on your dreams. Now if you need a decent space to get those chapters written, and to act on your dreams to sing, dance, BMX WHATEVER, let us know, we’ll hook you up.

There was kinda a point in there….check out Spender’s poem below!

A Question of Identity

Who he was remained an open question

He asked himself , looking at the Others-

The Strangers, roaring down the street.

Explorer, politician, bemedalled

General, professor, any of these

He might have been, but he was none.

[…] Calendars

Each year accused him of his  age,

Also he was a husband and had children,

And fitted to the measure of his desk,

Yet he never felt quite certain

Even of  certainties: discerned a gap

(like that between two letters) between statistics,

Though he was always writing those out on forms

And his real self. Sometimes he wondered

Whether he had been born or had died…

Was a space yearning for some asteriks…

[…]

Sometimes he had the sensation

 of being in a library , and reading a history

And coming to a chapter left unwritten

That blazed with nothing …nothing except him

…Nothing but his great name and great deeds. 

somewhereto_ and young talent takeover the Olympic Park on August 6th

Nothing is impossible with somewhereto_, as illustrated by the photos above. Here are the first group of young talented people we have got to perform in the Olympic Park in London on August 6th - coming down from all across the UK!

Thousands upon thousands of lucky park goers were treated to Olympic glory, British gold, and a buffet of talent keeping them entertained throughout the day - acts including the Mouthy Poets, delivering spoken word brilliance. Lucia Reyes Woodward, band Melonstomp, Anna Leigh and the Kings, Stacey Arthur, Nick Celino and Elli Ingram brought kept the grand park rumbling with back to back musical treats. Hayley Rea and the Aim High Dance Academy crew wowed the crowds coming to and from the Olympic Stadium. And there was even our national yo-yo champion star Krisztian Kalusza throwing up some crowd stopping moves with his tricks; always followed by a few young fans/future yo-yo champions asking ‘How do you that!?’.

Look out for the somewhereto_ young performers, coming to the park on August 11th, September 6th and 9th.

In between that, the 10 somewhereto_ show off competition winners will be rumbling the park on August 31st.

A wicked space with the equipment and the community you need!

This community radio station for the Totnes area is a fabulous space available to broadcast your ideas, projects and performing skills. They have a live studio you can use to broadcast your ideas, or go on as a guest to do a sketch, song, poem or interview.

They have a workshop room where you can put on an event, e.g. a small gig, a sewing group, or a little workshop, or display some artwork. Over 18s can train to run the space for themselves and under 18s are supervised by staff and volunteers.

If you can bring along a parent or similar to help out then that would be ideal as extra helpers are always welcome.

Get in touch today to use this space for FREE! If this isn’t what you’re looking for, use our space search to find something that suits you.

Leicester re-make of somewhereto_ at 10 Downing Street with teen talent

Back in October 2011, free runners, boxers and spoken word artists unlocked Britain’s most famous front door thanks to somewhereto_. The group of talented young people were given free rein to use Number 10 Downing Street as a space to showcase their passions. Watch the video above to relive the amazing occasion.

On the back of that, set to be premiered on May 5th, we will be treated to a Leicester re-make of the 10 Downing Street film. Click here for a sneak preview with behind the scenes footage of the young talented people being filmed showcasing their skills at Leicester Market in East Midlands. The final cut will show the young people performing free running, BMX free styling and more for the short film. Watch this space for more on that!

Get in touch now to find the space you need for free!

A large multi-use space in Belfast, Antrim - that you could be using for free next week!

Formerly the Group Theatre, this space has been refurbished to create a fresh and spacious multi-purpose room. A wonderful space to unleash your creative side; practice or perform drama, music, poetry and much more. The hall is in use for various events around the year, so contact a regional coordinator to find out more.

On another note: If you would like to get involved by helping out with the Open Source Belfast festival as a volunteer, click here to apply. This is a great opportunity to gain experience in venue management, programming, event management, and customer service. Out of pocket expenses will be covered, including travel to and from the venue on public transport and a meal each day.

Get in touch now to use this space ASAP!

Filmakers, photographers and poets - get your work published now!

This is a virtual space within a website. It is an established website given by Creative Arts East, and can offer a page for creative purposes. Whether you want to upload a film you have made, a series of photographs or publish your poetry - the space is there for you to do it.

Click here for more information on this space, and to find out about the hundreds of other somewhereto_ spaces!

somewhereto_ LDN has been working closely with Rich Mix, a Mecca for up-and-coming artistic talent in East London, to get our young people doing the things they love.

We want to share three diverse projects which happened at the Rich Mix venue in January that really showcase the opportunities presented by just one empty space.

Continental Operations Gallery: Exhibition One

Continental Operations is a nomadic art gallery which exhibits in unusual spaces across London. The gallery aims to show the work of exciting emerging artists and favours experimental exhibition formats in temporary locations. With this in mind, Gallery Director Christopher Lawrence wanted to find somewhereto_ stage Continental Operations Gallery’s first exhibition and felt the synergy with the somewhereto_ project was idea.

We secured Rich Mix’s Cafe Gallery for the exhibition, a space more than perfect for the job. The private view drew in a great crowd and Continental Operations will feature in somewhereto_ LDN’s project showcase in March of this year.

The BluMile Launch Party

 The Blu Mile is a new and original concept born from the minds of two innovative Londoners (Blu Evans and Miles Fleming), who share a relentless passion for music, culture and fashion. From humble blog origins where they posted images of their favourite footwear and views on all things eclectic, the boys are now authorities on “what’s fresh” and their site receives over 7000 views per month. To mark their recent move to a new online domain, their collaboration with New Era Caps and everything great happening to them right now, Blu and Miles sought out somewhereto_ host a free launch party for their network and followers. A vibrant evening with performances from musicians, poets, dancers and contemporary artists, guests could meet the guys in the flesh and watch Blu cut his hair to raise money for the Sickle Cell Society.

Benefiting from a venue in the heart of Shoreditch, hundreds attended the launch and meant The Blue Mile saw in the new year in style. The boys already want to host other showcase events with the help of somewhereto_ and Rich Mix and felt January’s event went ‘brilliantly’.

Alleyway Daydream premier by Macabra Productions

Independent filmmakers Dirmitri Vassiliadis and Daniel Isebor founded Macabra Productions to re-establish the independent film industry and create a community-orientated atmosphere for young filmmakers. Having produced their first short film Alleyway Daydream in 2011, Dirmitri and Daniel approached somewhereto_ to find the perfect venue for their premier.

The film is inspired by a time in their own lives where they were short of things to do and is a dark, edgy project focused on characters unable to transform their lives. Unlike these characters though and thanks to the somewhereto_ project, these young filmmakers were able to access the prestigious Rich Mix venue. Around 80 people attended the premier, which began with a generous session of networking over champagne and millionaire shortbreads. The somewhereto_ project has provided a great platform for Daniel and Dirmitri to grow Macabra productions and create a network around their surrealist films. Daniel told us that the premier went ‘better than expected’ and that it ‘couldn’t have happened without the help of somewhereto_ and Rich Mix’.

Feel inspired? Get in touch with us and find somewhereto_do the thing you love!

“How do you describe this feeling, where you’re just standing where the Prime Minister lives and works and operates in? It’s epic man, completely epic!” - Deanna Rogers, Rubix Collective and somewhereto_ young person.

In October 2011 Britain’s most famous front door was unlocked for 10 young people as part of somewhereto_.

The group of talented young people included spoken word poets (from Rubix Collective), Bridget Minamore, Deanna Rodger, Sean Mahoney and Ayesha Badat; who were all looking for somewhereto_ practice spoken word, and were given free rein to use Number 10 Downing Street as a space to showcase their skills.

somewhereto_ is a nationwide project to help 16-25 year olds find the space they need to do the things they love. The project is delivered by youth engagement agency Livity in media partnership with Channel 4, and funded by Legacy Trust UK, an independent charity set up to help build a lasting cultural and sporting legacy from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games across the UK.

Tell us what you’d love to do now at www.somewhereto.com/number10 and find an amazing space to use near you!