Impact and Reach
Impact and Reach
Independent evaluators LKMco worked with Paper Nations to test the validity of the research findings and to evaluate the impact of the project. On January 25th 2019, LKMco released their evaluation, which confirmed the critical importance of Paper Nations’ emphasis on habit building, writing for pleasure and the role of networks/communities in sustaining practice.
Dare to Write? has achieved a wide reach, impacting the habits of young people. Between 2016 and 18:
- 10 people were trained to deliver Dare to Write? workshops and after school clubs.
- 50 Dare to Write? Library workshops took place across the South West, with a focus on areas of deprivation.
- 600 children and young people took part in Dare to Write? workshops and had a taster for creative writing.
- Approximately 3872 pages of notebooks were filled with ideas, imagination, scribbles, stories and dares.
The wider Paper Nations research project engaged with an audience of over 50,000 young people, writers, parents, and educators through its collaboration with festivals and a network of online platforms.
Distribution
Professor Soyinka and team undertook this extensive research project into writing habits with the aim of sharing the results directly with writers. The research and findings are distributed through Dare to Write? rather than through academic papers.
Writers and educators can access the Dare to Write? research in the following ways:
- The Dare to Write? portals (Core, Library, Atlas, and Academy) outline the core principles and contain all that is needed to begin a life-long writing journey. Writers can continue the journey on their own or with the support of local and online communities.
- There is further support at hand for writers, educators and organisations who are committed to the ongoing development of a culture for writing. For more detailed study and analysis, Paper Nations research briefing papers are a good place to start. Educators and researchers can also sign up to the Dare to Write? Academy for further support and guidance. These supplementary reports, briefings and training opportunities expand upon and explain the underpinning research and pedagogy.
We recognise that there is more work to be done. Not all writers have access to the support that they need at the local level, and not all writing developers can afford to pay for training. This is why Paper Nations, the incubator behind Dare to Write?, is continuing with its work to identify and remove barriers to writers.