Living Words is a small size/big impact arts and literature organisation, usually found innovating from our Folkestone community into the wider world. We live by our values of integrity, social benefit, equity and inclusion. Responsive and can-do in approach, we are known for creative work with marginalised people, impacted by dementia or mental ill health in particular, delivered through diverse artists with a shared purpose. Since 2007 our artists have been applying our unique Listen Out Loud (LOL) methodology to co-create individual books of words with project members on their lived experience.

In an attempt to help individuals transform their lives, and relationships, Listen Out Loud works by listening to a person’s sounds and words which are written, as they speak, and then edited with them to validate their sense of self when read back. With their involvement and within an ethical framework, individuals and groups receive their own books. Following, the Living Words artistic team take these words out into the world through arts and culture ventures, in the form of anthology publications, song, film, performance, and festival programming. This process is to enable these voices to be heard and to challenge associated societal stigma and promote inclusion. We want to see a world in which all our sounds and words are given space to be heard. For speakers to be validated and take power through their vocal expression, listeners to get in sync, and our artists affirmed in their art and progression of their skills.