IT’S MY THING – WHAT’S YOURS?

My Front Door – ACE Funded C&C Event September 2016

Happy 1st October!

In addition to the regular workshops I facilitate in Muswell Hill, N10, which form the foundation of Creative Writes and is where it all began – I also freelance for a range of organisations, delivering creative writing and poetry reading workshops. In a typical week, I can be in a sheltered housing scheme, care homes, a few community centres and perhaps teaching a Skype class, a Masterclass and a small Creative Writes Workshop in my local area. Wherever I am teaching, whoever I am working with – my aim is to take the fear out of writing and to make it as accessible as possible. I focus more on the process and enjoyment of the writing itself, rather than the polished end product and publication. The result of this is that the writing can be raw and full of surprises and helps develop our natural writing style. We all have something to say – whether it be in the form of life writing, poetry or fiction. I give you the space to do that.

I have also had the wonderful opportunity to be involved in some special projects. Yesterday marked the finale of My Front Door – the Arts Council Funded Project for C&C Housing Trust: https://www.ccht.org.uk/

Plaque by Linda Griffiths for C&C My Front Door Project

The seeds for this project were sown over a year ago when we discussed creating a newspaper with the creative writing and art groups. From this came focussed work on the Bloomsbury Set and then as 2016 is the 90th Birthday for C&C, it grew and grew! I found myself discovering treasures in the trunk of C&C’s founder -Mrs Chesterton and devising creative writing workshop content from here – encouraging the group to write from many different points of view, weaving their own voices with the voices of remarkable figures from history. The group wrote their lives, their journeys, their stories. They found inspiration from letters, literature, images and a range of other archive material.

When I was discussing the project and why it has been so important to me (as was the audio project I worked on with ScreenDeep for the Museum of London Docklands), I realised that this was my thing! I gain so much from facilitating participants- helping them to find their own voice and to make a real connection with the past. I enjoy research and discovering treasures to bring to the groups. Every letter and photograph, every object from the archive – was a gem in my hands.

What’s your thing? Which work or creative process makes you really happy? We would love to hear about it in the comments…

Front Doors by C&C Art Group, with Linda Griffiths

The final My Front Door Project was a two day immersive, site specific arts event at a sheltered housing scheme this week. It included innovative dance, singing, audio pieces (readings by the Creative Writing Groups), a ceramic light installation, an art exhibition, a film screening, a theatre performance and the launch of the 90th Anniversary Edition of the newspaper – Colville Court & Blackham House Chronicle.

The pride and enjoyment shared by the residents and the creativity of the whole team made this project a joy to be part of.

Colville Court & Blackham House Chronicle

Here’s a quick reminder of the Autumn 2016 Creative Writes Workshops in Muswell Hill, N10 and also our new Block of three Wednesdays. If you have any questions, please email info@creativewrites.co.uk

Themed Autumn 2016 Workshops

Wednesdays, 7.30-9.30pm
26 October – Colour As Writing Inspiration

9 November – Myriad of Objects

Treasure Box – Write Your Legacy Weekend, 29 & 30 October 2016

NEW Weekend Workshop! ‘Treasure Box – Write Your Legacy,’ 29th & 30th October 2016

(Saturday, 2-6pm & Sunday 3-5pm).

Block of three Wednesdays: 30th November, 7th & 14th December, 7.30-9.30pm

Here is the bookings pages link for further details on all of our workshops: https://www.creativewrites.co.uk/p/bookings-workshop-info-how-to-book.html