Get Blackpool Reading and The Blackpool Grand Theatre have developed an exciting initiative to celebrate the resort’s brilliant sense of humour and get children giggling this summer!
The comedy writing competition for children aged 4-11 takes inspiration from the resort’s iconic Comedy Carpet landmark – a 2,200 square metre display of Britain’s best one-liners, found on Blackpool’s promenade. Children are encouraged to fill out a template replicate of the famous carpet with their favourite jokes and funnies shared with them by friends and family.
A selection of schools across the resort will receive a copy of the Comedy Carpet comedy writing resource before they close for the summer holidays. Schools and families can also download the competition sheet on the button below to find out how to enter.
Once children/pupils have completed their comedy carpet competition sheet, families and schools should send their entries to Get Blackpool Reading by Tuesday 13 October 2020.
Entries should include the child's name, age, the name of their school and a parent or teacher email address, and be sent:
- By post to Get Blackpool Reading, National Literacy Trust, 68 South Lambeth Road, London, SW8 1RL
- Or by email getblackpoolreading@literacytrust.org.uk
The competition will run over the summer until Tuesday 13 October 2020. The most hilarious winning submissions will be included in a digital joke book, collated by The Grand Theatre, Blackpool, and entered into a prize draw to win a bundle of books and vouchers to buy tickets for a family theatre show.
The competition comes as new research shows that half (48%) of children and young people have been inspired to read more funny books during lockdown[1]. This builds on previous research from the charity which found that a third (32%) of 8 to 11-year-olds pick up funny books to read every month and a fifth (18%) write comedy in their free time. [2]
Get Blackpool Reading is a campaign led in partnership with Blackpool Council and Blackpool Opportunity Area, which launched in February to raise literacy levels across the town. Since lockdown began, the campaign has gifted more than 1,000 books to children and families to support them through the challenges of the coronavirus outbreak and to make reading a key part of their lives.
"We’re thrilled to be working alongside The Grand Theatre, Blackpool for this exciting competition encouraging the children of Blackpool to find the funny in literacy over the summer holidays. We can’t wait to have a chuckle at your entries!"
Get Blackpool Reading Campaign Manager, Laura Flinn
"The Grand Theatre loves it when families, friends and our local community feel uplifted by a visit to our friendly theatre to laugh out loud … we can’t wait to have our own laugh out loud moments when we see all the jokes and share them in our very first digital joke book"
Celine Wyatt, Head of Creative Learning at Blackpool Grand Theatre
"As part of the Blackpool Grand Theatre family I’m delighted to support the Get Blackpool Reading’s comedy writing competition. Blackpool is a town steeped in comedic history, and it’s a pleasure to help find the resort’s next big comic voice."
Steve Royle, Blackpool-based Comedy Performer and Writer
"It’s fantastic to see this focus on comedy and laughter, where children and families can put smiles on their faces through reading and writing during the summer. This competition is a fantastic way to keep children engaged and interested in literacy activities."
Chair of the Blackpool Opportunity Area Partnership Board, Graham Cowley
Ts and Cs apply. The competition will close on Tuesday 13 October 2020. Competition entries will be judged by representatives from Get Blackpool Reading and The Grand Theatre, Blackpool during the autumn term.
[1] National Literacy Trust (2020) Children and young people’s reading in 2020 before and during the COVID-19 lockdown
[2] National Literacy Trust (2016) Children’s and Young People’s Reading and Writing of Comedy in 2015