The Word

04/12/2024

The Misfortune Teller 28/09/24

The Misfortune Teller is an interactive performance during which participants receive a fortune from an arcade-style fortune teller except… they’re all bad fortunes.

Thanks to all who came on the day to participate and gave us their feedback, and thanks to for these pictures.

Wanna get involved? Join us this Sunday 12-2pm at Cafe Etch for Sunday Social and come share your ideas.

01/12/2024

Sunday Social is back again next week, 12-2pm @ Cafe Etch.

Bring your ideas, bring your work and come have your say. Sunday Social will evolve over time as informed by YOUR input, your wants and needs. Workshops, trips out, professional speakers; the sky’s the limit so come have your say.

Meet other young creatives to discuss, collaborate, rant & put the world to rights. If you’re looking for community, look no further.

See ya there😎

29/11/2024

BLESSED BE THE WORD

Huge thanks to you all for showing up & showing out. We smashed our fundraising goal to bits, meaning we can continue contributing our own silly brand of art & culture to the scene in Middlesbrough.

Extra special thanks to Chapel - Whitehouse St. for being our patient hosts, to all the bands who generously lent us their time and talent, and to for capturing the day on film.

We’d be nothing without you!
bnd No Way

22/11/2024

22/11/2024

Food and drinks on Sunday ⬇️⬇️⬇️

17/11/2024

Sunday Social: ICON.

Our second instalment in the Sunday Social series is a fun and inclusive collage workshop inviting you to create your own album cover facilitated by sallylovessharpies All materials provided, but feel free to bring your own magazines, old cd covers or anything else you want.

Any questions or access needs, please send us a DM.

Sunday 24th November 12-2pm @ cafe etch.

06/11/2024

Our first Sunday Social is fast approaching:

Join us November 10th at cafe.etch between 12-2pm for badge making, collaging or whatever you want to work on. Bring your art, your ideas, or just yourself.

As we move forward, you’ll help shape what these meet-ups become. It’s your community, your direction.

Any questions? Feel free to shoot us a DM. See ya there.

22/10/2024

The Word presents: Sunday Social.

Creatives (18-25), this is your space. Sunday Social—no pressure, no agenda, just a laid-back vibe. Bring your art, your ideas, or just yourself. It’s all good.

As we move forward, you’ll help shape what these meet-ups become. It’s your community, your direction.

Launching November 10th, with sessions every two weeks following.
More info coming soon.

31/08/2024

🔥🔥 It was in the flames 🔥🔥We got our fortune told and it’s good news! Over the past few months The Word has been working hard on a project grant with the Arts Council to secure professional support for our growth and to keep delivering you more loaded word events, exhibitions & workshops.

This July we received the big news that our grant was accepted by . We are keen to get started. We have learnt a lot and have gained confidence throughout the process.

This July we received the big news that our grant was accepted by Arts Council England. We are keen to get started. We have learnt a lot and have gained confidence throughout the process.

A special mention to the Will Hughes who’s been more than a help in bringing together our application and thank you to The Auxiliary , Borderlands Creative People & Places and Array Studio for offering their time and mentoring throughout our project. Thank you to the fantastic team Navigator North for offering studio space. We can’t thank you enough, our community!

So amongst this fortunate news we've got something of misfortune lined up. This September we will be working to deliver you ‘The Misfortune Teller’ a piece as part of a performance that you’ll be able to find Middlesbrough Art Week and Middlesbrough Pride with Curious Arts. For this interactive performance we are also collaborating with Bobby Benjamin, Sophie Ruth and Grimesz Lockwood

Ready to have your Misfortune told? Will it be bad news, or really bad news? We’ll be offering up some more misfortunate news along the way, watch what the stars are saying...

Take care, Anon

🌜👀🌠🚧⌛🔮🧿🚬🃏🎪

08/08/2024

We are extremely saddened by the demonstrations of violence, racism and islamaphobia that have occurred in our beloved town over the last few days.

The acts and rhetoric displayed by these groups does not represent Middlesbrough as a town and community, and we would like to echo the thoughtful statements by to call on our community to come together in the spirit of unity and solidarity.

Please check the link in our bio for fundraisers set up by Idrees Rashid and

There is also a fundraising event at Cafe Etch on 10th August hosted by .

Stay safe everyone.

Love & Words
The team xx

Photo by

04/07/2024

👁👄👁THIS JULY with Lorraine Smith Arts !!

Get on your bike, in your shoes, your cars, your boats, your blades, your stilts and head on down to Durham Fringe Festival on the weekend of the 27-28 July to attend Lorraine's performance of YCTMHT.

Get ready for Avant Garde costumes, eclectic movement, lip synching and celebration, as we plunge down the spiral slide of tangled memories and 80s nostalgia. Yes, pop icons can really change lives!

While we're at it we wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who donated to our fundraiser back in May! With an especially huge shoutout and thank you to Lorraine Smith for their continued support for the Word and her incredibly generous donation to our fundraiser - without it we wouldn't be able to continue what we are doing!

So go and show some support to Lorraine on the 27-28 of this Month! Head to the Durham Fringe Festival website to book your tickets or find the direct link in Lorraine's bio!

Go grab your tickets now 🚨❤️‍🔥

19/05/2024

🎯What's that...less than a week to go till Tees Zine Fest?

Join us this Saturday at Navigator North, unit 7 Hill St Centre, 10-4pm

Get stuck in, make your own zine...you may find yourself feeling inspired! Plus you can enter our super great smashing raffle 🎰 We can't wait to see you there! 25th May 📅

In the mean time take care!

14/05/2024

Just a half please, cheers 🍻

Thank you to everyone who has donated to our fundraiser so far, we are now just over half way to our goal which is incredible.

An especially huge thank you to for donating a massively generous amount, we are absolutely in awe! Keep a look out for more info about Lorraine's upcoming project with
this July...or head over to their account and share the support 🫡🔔

If you've not seen our previous post, let's fill you in on what's happening. We need your help!

-

As a grassroots project, so far we've been entirely self funding from our own pockets and from any takings on the door of our events.

Any profits we've made so far have either paid for needed resources or gone straight back to the community by paying the artists we collaborated with. So we're looking to you, our community, to help us grow and evolve so we can keep doing what we do for us and for you...but with a bit more structure and organisation!

We'll be using these funds to secure professional support for our growth and collaborating with local organisations and festivals. We'll be working on a number of new projects while gaining support for a business plan, website and expanding our online presence. To help us on our way you can donate to our Just Giving page. Just head to the link in the comments or in our bio🔗

Thanks for your coin! 👍

08/05/2024

📢📢📢 Visit our fundraiser and help us save The Word!

Weʼre raising money to save The Word.. Support this JustGiving Crowdfunding Page.

08/05/2024

🏗️📢👀Help us save The Word!

As a grassroots project, so far we have been entirely self funding from our own pockets and from any takings on the door of our events.

Any profits we've made so far have either paid for needed resources or gone straight back to the community by paying the artists we collaborated with. For the love of what we do and for the love of art, we have actually run most of our events at a loss and to be honest we've got to get out sh*t together.

So, we're looking to you, our community, to help us grow and evolve so we can keep doing what we do for us and you...but with a bit more structure and organisation.

We'll be using these funds to secure professional support for our growth, and collaborating with local organisations and festivals. We'll be working on a number of new projects while gaining support for a business plan, website, and expanding our online presence. To help us on our way you can donate to our Just Giving page. 🔗Just visit: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/thewordneedsyou

Love and Words,

The team x

19/04/2024

We’re collaborating with The Word for Zine fest, and we’re really excited about all they’re going to bring on the 25th May . Look out for artist led activity with a new punk vibe.

Here’s more from them:

The Word is an open arts collective, with a focus on accessibility, collaboration and experimentalism. Using humour and playfulness as a vessel, we have worked on numerous projects including our "The Word is..." art parties, and public facing installations and open forum discussions.

ID blue framed image of four of the members of The Word in front of screwed up newspaper, with the words ‘The Word’ crossed out and ‘Listen Fools’ in newspaper heading text. The titles on the frame say ‘Tees Zine Fest’ and ‘The Word’

31/03/2024

It’s resurrection Sunday and we have risen… just about!

🪨We’ve been under our rock for a little while; but not to worry, we've got some exciting things on the cards...so stay tuned and keep a look out for updates. There is plenty more to come! 👀

take it easy, keep it breezy. Happy Easter everyone🫡