What we've been up to...

It's been a really busy few weeks - well month really since Diary Day May 12th. We now have most of our expected day diaries in. We have over 110 postcard diaries and days in pictures, plus a fantastic response (600 plus diaries!) from local schools. We've also had some instagram and twitter diaries, and one project produced around 40 'One thing I learned today postcards'. Added to all these are over 80 formal day diaries sent in by individuals, and organisations.

We've coded all the entries now - so we can begin posting them on here as anonymous diary entries to provide a lasting digital record of our days'. We've set up a separate hastingsspeaks junior blog to post as many of our younger entrants diaries as possible. 

We're busy planning our live literary event to be held on Wednesday 28 September 2016 at 7.30 pm at the Albion pub, George Street, Hastings. Put the date in your diaries. It is going to be a lively and fun night - with live readings, films, and even a little music (possibly). Tickets will go on sale soon via eventbrite. (Though of course free to all our lovely participants)

We're starting to think about how to put together our anthology - whether it is by theme, and what are the important themes we have had in diaries. Housework, the new pier, SATS, food, mental health, the arts and our town are just a few. The anthology will be ready to purchase in time for our live literary event.

My colleague Chris has created a small project strand around psychogeography, whereby people have recorded random walks taken during May 12, via photography, video and text. She's talking to people know how to put these together, and include in our events.

We're also planning not one by two exhibitions to be held at Hastings Museum and Art Gallery - the first on psychogeograhy, the second in September focused on the diary writing and day recording.

We're also pulling together a couple of articles about the project for the Hastings Independent Press - keep an eye out for us in this excellent free local newspaper.

And finally, well, we're about to start sharing all the diary entries we can with you.

Here's a little day postcard to provide a taster...