 |
| The Little Chamber, Sutton House – National Trust |
Happy British Summer Time to you all! It was worth one hour less sleep on Saturday, bring on the longer days.
It has been a whirlwind week at Creative Writes headquarters. It would take too much blog space to share it all but here are the highlights…
During the Playing with Poetry & Words Workshop on Wednesday, I found myself sharing some of my own work – which I rarely do. As it was in celebration of World Poetry Day, I was thinking about poetry in translation and shared Paul Celan’s poem ‘Once’ (originally written in German) and the poem I had written in response to this during workshops I attended in 2009. I think it was a good challenge to read my own work to the group, remembering how vulnerable it can make you feel – yet liberating. We discussed how the no feedback process made listening to each other such a different and enriching experience. It was wonderful listening to the poems the participants brought in – poems they liked and also their own work. I am constantly inspired by the people I work with and Wednesday was no exception.
After the workshop, I wrote this (no feedback please!):
Before You Go
Before you go, turn
And clean the white mist of drugged reverie from her eyes
So that afterwards all that is mirrored is truth
Scrub away her foundation
Expose the scaffolding of her tin house
Before you go, listen to her footsteps
And watch as she halts and turns back
Bending and diluting into you
TRY THIS: Find a writing buddy if you don’t already have one. Spend time writing together in spaces that inspire you both. When you have written some of your work, read to each other and just listen – no feedback. Notice how different listening without agenda feels.
 |
| The Little Chamber, Sutton House |
Saturday was day two of my own writing sessions in inspiring places. I returned to my beloved Sutton House in Hackney (after running a taster workshop on Colour for my London Lapidus group). I worked at this stunning National Trust property for two and a half years – managing community arts events, before I left to run Creative Writes full time.I have returned several times to run my own workshops and the place, its people and stories never cease to inspire me. It was wonderful to once again, sit in my corner and just write. I chose The Little Chamber on the first floor to write in, while the light danced beautifully across the room. I warmed up with some free flow exercises such as ‘I’m thinking of’ and then wrote poetry which connected with the stories of Sutton House. I will be back next week! Thanks to those of you who have contacted me and suggested other inspiring places to write in. Watch this space…
Yesterday, I went along to Sunday Surgery – which is organised by MSFT Management. I had worked with MSFT during the ScreenDeep Music Hall Project last year. In addition to being an acting agency, they also arrange Sunday Surgery each month – where playwrights have the opportunity to see their stage plays rehearsed and performed with actors and a director for the day. I had been invited along by one of my students who I am mentoring. She had successfully submitted an excerpt of one of her plays. It was so helpful and exciting to see the play developed and slightly nerve wracking standing in for the Director for the first run through but I learnt a lot! It was a very different type of listening from my own workshops! We plan to have the whole play developed soon – I will be blogging updates. I may even try out Directing again at Sunday Surgery…
Dates for your diary:
1 April – last day of Early Bird offer for May Thursdays in Muswell Hill (1, 8, 15, 22 May, 7.30pm).
It is also the final day of the current fees for Creative Writes one to one Masterclasses and Skype sessions.
30 April – Spin A Story Themed Workshop, Muswell Hill, 7.30pm.
Full details on all of our workshops here:
https://www.creativewrites.co.uk/p/bookings-workshop-info-how-to-book.html
See you soon!
Nichola