Arkbound Foundation

The Arkbound Foundation is a charity that aims to widen access to literature and improve diversity within publishing.

We run projects that empower people from disadvantaged backgrounds and deprived communities to get their voices heard, supporting books with important social and environmental themes. We mentor aspiring authors so that they can produce books that are widely read and which dispel negative stereotypes, whilst seeking to build resilience for the most excluded communities through the power of literature and journalism.

We are the only independent, non-profit UK publisher, with a missionupon widening accessibility and diversity within the publishing and media industries, which includes all equality groups and protected characteristics.

We are equality and lived experience founded and led. Disadvantaged artists, writers, and those active in accessible and inclusive culture, media and communication activities and provisions, make out our core team.

We believe that everyone should be able to participate in the opportunities that both industries offer, regardless of their background or personal circumstances. This could be by way of publishing books or becoming a journalist.

Our three core areas of activity are writing workshops, book publishing and mentoring.

We also include images and graphics in our publications, which are created, designed, or chosen by our disadvantaged prospective authors.

We combine visual, sensory, audible and any other forms available as writing mentors, editors, and publishers, providing accessibility and facilitating an optimum of experiencing our publications to everyone.

Disadvantaged beneficiaries can access our services free of charge, right up to getting published through us.

We are equality and lived experience founded and led ourselves. Most of our trustees and staff belong to what you would call “outsider artists/writers”

OUR CHARITY COMMISSION REGISTERED OBJECTS:

FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATION: For the public benefit to promote learning for people of all age-groups from disadvantaged backgrounds through the continued development of their individual capabilities, competencies, skills and understanding in subjects of educational value. FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF HEALTH AND TACKLING ISOLATION: Providing Writing for Wellbeing and Social Prescribing engagements for disadvantaged and isolated people in the UK, such as to support them towards gaining improved wellbeing and mental health. Also towards meaningful community cohesion, brought about actively through participating and engaging with our writing for wellbeing provisions, events, and support groups, also though our websites and social media. Also providing mentoring and supported publishing services. TO PROMOTE SOCIAL INCLUSION FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT BY WORKING WITH PEOPLE ACROSS THE UK WHO ARE SOCIALLY EXCLUDED ON THE GROUNDS OF DISABILITY, POVERTY OR CRIMINAL BACKGROUND; TO RELIEVE THE NEEDS OF THESE GROUPS TO ASSIST THEM TO INTEGRATE MORE EFFECTIVELY INTO SOCIETY, PARTICULARLY BY: 1. Empowering these groups through workshops, exhibitions and events to convey their personal stories in a way that can be understood and appreciated by the wider community; 2. Providing a mentoring network whereby individuals from these groups can fairly access the means to publish their work, for the wider community to read, and to develop their writing skills in a manner that improves their well-being, self-esteem and ability to contribute to society; 3. Providing a means by which these groups can convey their stories in the media and publishing industry, through books and magazines and digital avenues, thereby helping to tackle stigma and discrimination.

On 27th of July 2019, following extensive engagement with the groups involved with 30 YearsBristol Disability Activism, we co-hosted a landmark event at Bristol’s Arnolfini art gallery, ‘Untold Stories’.

During Covid restrictions we met via Zoom up to three times a week, providing support whilstdeveloping a publication of ‘Untold Stories’.