SCHOOL’S out, and we’ve got a fantastic opportunity this summer for anyone aged between 16 and 25 years, who’s keen to write and make poems, stories, lyrics and songs.

Over the course of two days – August 6 and 7 – we’re workshops on writing, performance and using your voice for speaking and performance.

The theme of the workshops is ‘stormy weather’, and day one is a day of inspiration at the Brontë Parsonage Museum, whilst day two will be spent at Leeds Library, where you will have the opportunity to make, create, perform and present new work at a public showcase at the end of the day.

You will meet and engage with professional artists who work in literature, spoken word, curation, music, graphic design, film and production, including Sai Murray, Melanie Abrahams, and Tobago Crusoe (whose calypso band features in the first Paddington film).

All the professionals are there to support you and great where offering you insights into what it is like to make a living as a poet, musician or creative in the arts industry.

Applying is simple – but don’t delay! – just email your name, address, age, and up to 250 words on how this workshop will benefit you, to me at diane.fare@bronte.org.uk.

Tickets cost just £12 (and this includes lunch and refreshments on day one).

And we’re just about ready for the biggest weekend of events we’ve ever hosted at the museum.

The Emily Birthday Weekend is finally upon us, and as I write, a huge marquee is being erected in Parson’s Field behind the Parsonage to host the dizzying array of events.

The weekend kicks off on the evening of Friday July 27 with the launch of I am Heathcliff, a collection of short stories inspired by Wuthering Heights, featuring a number of the contributors.

Then on Saturday there are workshops on vlogging, blogging, and podcasts, an ‘in conversation’ event about Emily and the Gothic, and a fabulous headline event entitled ‘This, That and ‘The Other’’ featuring the above-mentioned calypso musician Tobago Crusoe, our writer-in-residence performance poet Patience Agbabi, and Jay Bernard, winner of the 2018 Ted Hughes award for new poetry, and more besides.

It promises to be a highlight of the weekend!

However exhausted I will be after Saturday, I’ll be up bright and early on Sunday to take part in the 14-mile Emily Walk, which is one of the four Bronte Stones Walks devised by author Michael Stewart.

Whilst I’m walking the moors, I’ll miss the welcome return of Poetry at the Parsonage’s Open Mic, more workshops – including free sketching outdoors workshops – and a Birds of Prey display.

There’s too much to fit in!

I’ll hopefully finish the walk in time to see the screening of Lily Cole’s film, specially commisioned by the museum for Emily’s bicentenary, and I’ll be back in the museum on Monday July 30 – the actual birthday – when we’ll be in a celebratory mood.

We will be looking forward to the evening event featuring Lily Cole, The Unthanks, Patience Agbabi, and other special guests.

l Full details available at bronte.org.uk/whats-on or call 01535 640192.