Lewisham Writes: creative writing workshop series

Framed around themes of deep listening and paying attention to small details, ‘Listen Louder, Speak Closer’ is a series of six poetry/creative writing workshops facilitated by Amber Obasi, a Lewisham resident and sometimes writer, dabbling in poetry and short stories. These workshops, brought to you by Spread the Word and Lewisham Libraries, will be a space to slow down, relax, interact with and learn from others, and above all, to be creative. You don’t need to be a ‘poet’ or ‘writer’ to come along, all that’s needed is a willingness to try and a desire to spend time being creative,. Workshops are drop-in stand-alones, and there’s no obligation to come to all of them. Please register for your free place here https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/lewisham-writes-with-amber-obasi-3582029 At the end of the series of workshops, there will be a final gathering where all participants will be invited, along with their friends and family, to connect and share their work in a supportive and relaxed environment. All workshops, including the showcase, take place at Downham Library. Session 1: Listening to Me Saturday 12 October, 12.30pm – 2.30pm For our first session we’ll focus our attention inwards. We’ll look at poetry related to the self, from childhood to old age, and have a go at writing our own. Session 2: Listening to Those Before Me Saturday 19 October, 12.30pm – 2.30pm In this session, we’ll look and listen to materials from Lewisham’s Archives, using archival ephemera as stimulus for our writing. Session 3: Listening to the World Around Me Saturday 26 October, 12.30pm – 2.30pm For our third session, we’ll consider how writing can be used to meditate on and connect with the world around us. Weather permitting, part of this session will take place outside. Session 4: Visuals Saturday 2 November, 12.30pm – 2.30pm Poetry can also be found in the shapes that words and sounds created on paper. In this session we’ll look at different examples of visual poetry and play around with making our own. Session 5: Rhythm Saturday 9 November, 12.30pm – 2.30pm Poetry is more than just the words, it’s also about the rhythm these words create. In this session, we’ll explore performance poetry and consider ways of playing with rhythm in our poetry. Session 6: Gestures Saturday 16 November, 12.30pm – 2.30pm Poetry can also be found in silence and the movements we make. In this session, we’ll consider poetry involving gestures, captions and movements. This session will also involve some movement exercises. Accommodations will be made for different abilities. Session 7: Showcase Saturday 23 November, 12.30pm – 2.30pm In this session, we’ll have a showcase for anyone who has attended any session to come and share work developed during the session or inspired by the session. Friends, family and other spectators are also welcome. You can book this separate session here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lewisham-writes-showcase-tickets-957240791977 Accessibility: All sessions, including the showcase, take place at Downham Library in Lewisham. The venue has wheelchair accessibility and accessible toilets. FAQs Do I need to sign up for all of the sessions? You don't have to. However, we very much encourage you to attend as many as you feel able.