'Post Box' Community Poetry & Visual Art @ The Old Reading Room, Goathland

About the Activity

Gather with Liz Collier and Yana Fay Dzedze at The Old Reading Room, Goathland, for a creative session rooted in the voices of Whitby itself.

Throughout August, three post boxes have been placed around Whitby, inviting people to write about what Whitby means to them; a word, a memory, a feeling, a place. In these sessions, those collected submissions become the starting point for something new. Participants work with the words and ideas gathered from the community to create an original visual art piece and a poem; responding to what has been shared, and adding their own layer to the story of this place.

No experience in art or writing is needed. The submissions do the heavy lifting; you bring your curiosity and your response to what you find in them.

Part of Whitby Gathers, a free summer arts programme across Whitby and surrounding villages, supported by Arts Council England.

What to Bring

Just yourself. All materials are provided.

About the Facilitators

Liz Collier is a visual artist and creative facilitator whose practice centres on collaborative and community-led art projects that invite participants to shape and contribute to the work being created. Liz regularly works across schools, galleries and community settings, supporting people of all ages to explore visual storytelling, design and collective making.

Yana Fay Dzedze is a writer, performer and cultural practitioner whose work explores identity, migration, memory and storytelling. She grew up in Whitby and now lives in Johannesburg, South Africa. She is the author of You Came with the Birds and The Fire in my Belly, and works across literature, theatre and performance to bring personal narrative into shared creative spaces. She is the Programme Lead for Whitby Gathers 2026.