Funding
MaxLiteracy is delivered by the Max Reinhardt Charitable Trust, Engage and the National Association of Writers in Education (NAWE).
MaxLiteracy is a unique opportunity for collaborative and interdisciplinary learning between creative writers in education, visual arts engagement specialists and teachers/educators, to develop innovative and creative practices that nurture creative literacy with young people. We aim for the Awards to support a greater understanding of, and visibility for, visual arts and writing practices with children and young people.
Approximately every two years, colleagues in visual arts organisations in England, including galleries and art museums, are invited to submit proposals to host a MaxLiteracy Award.
The MaxLiteracy Awards are now closed for 2025-2026. Find out more by visiting our main website.
Case studies of MaxLiteracy in action
Teacher? Parent or carer? Gallery educator? Writer looking to work in education?
The Turnpike
Key Stage 2 (ages 9 to 11)
An architecturally inspired poetry project that explored modernism, play and performance with young people at Key Stage 2, during disrupted learning as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
- architecture
- poetry
BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art
Key Stage 3 (ages 11 – 14)
A major exhibition is the stimulus for bookmaking, guided writing, printing and random poetry, and an alternative audio guide for the venue is voiced by year 7 students.
- exhibition
- mixed ability
- visual impairment
Kettle’s Yard
Key Stage 1 and 2 (ages 5 – 11)
Maritime artworks and a unique domestic collection inspire year 3 pupils to create messages in bottles and lead family tours. Long term partnerships benefit the whole community.
- developing vocabulary
- EAL
- writing for audience