10-week
courses

Introduction
These workshops are designed to play a role within a museum or gallery's education programme or as part of a widening participation scheme. They have been created for gallery lovers and gallery phobics alike, with the central premise that the writing process can elicit new insights and empower the viewer to speak in new ways about art. The workshop experience is intended to strip away those intimidating intellectualisms that can hold a barrier up between the viewer and the work. Instead, it facilitates the viewer in entering and becoming part of the work whereupon they are able to reach a perspective that feels more truthful and idiosyncratically theirs. And, as with all meaningful relationships, the artwork will reciprocate by entering the viewer and leaving a unique and lasting impression.

The Idea

• To transform the viewer's experience using an array of creative writing
  tools specifically designed to enable a deepened and sustained interaction
  with an artwork.
• To enable the viewer enhanced access to a source of feelings, memories and
  ideas associated with the work.
• To enable the viewer enhanced access to a source of language with which to express their thoughts and ideas.

The Toolkit
Each workshop is comprised of a sequence of simple creative writing activities, the combination of which is formed with the participant group and exhibition in mind. Activities include:

• Observational writing
• Free-associative listing techniques
• Creative questioning exercises
• Personalised response/reflection in autobiography or fiction
• Personalised response/reflection in poetry or prose

The Processes

• These writing activities, singularly or in accumulation, work by inviting the
  whole self - the physical, emotional, intellectual and possibly the spiritual
  into dialogue with the work / exhibit.

  The Outcome
  It is intended that each workshop participant takes away:

• A memorable encounter with an artwork or series of artworks.
• A body of thoughtful and provocative writing
• Enhanced confidence to share and explore their personal experience of an
  artwork using language
• A new perception of themselves in relation to the artwork and visual art as
  a whole
• A toolkit with which to draw upon as part of future encounters with
  the visual arts.

  For more information on these workshops and other creative experiences please contact Briony

weekend
workshops

introduction to
memoir writing

introduction to
fiction writing

workshops in
creative writing &
the visual arts

creative writing
workshops for artists
& art students

creative writing
workshops in
museums & galleries