A new programme of poetry workshops and masterclasses in Birmingham.
Go to the bottom of the page for pictures and comments from the workshops.
MAKING POETRY WORKSHOPS return to Birmingham in Spring 2009. The monthly workshops will cover a range of topics, both technical and inspirational, led by Jacqui Rowe and Meredith Andrea, with masterclasses devised and presented by leading poets Mario Petrucci and Philip Gross. Writers at all levels of experience are welcome to come to any of the workshops or masterclasses.
See www.makingpoetry.co.uk for further details
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"Years ago, workshops with David Hart changed my life by starting to make me believe I was a poet. I know how important good quality workshops are for your development as a writer so I've put together a programme I'd like to go to myself, with tutors I respect and admire to help me lead it."
Jacqui Rowe
WORKSHOP PROGRAMME
All workshops take place on Saturdays from 1.30 to 4.30 pm
18th April
THE MAPMAKER'S WORKBOX
Journeys - real, imagined, your own life. Plot significant points, devise signs, triangulate and locate the arrow that says, 'You are here!' in a workshop led by Meredith Andrea and Jacqui Rowe where you might discover unexpected patterns in time and place.
23rd May
MASTERCLASS - MEMORY, EXPERIENCE, OBJECTS: FUEL, ENGINE, CAR
What we write comes mostly from sharp experience, whether recent or buried in the past, often prompted by resonant objects and places. How can we best access memory and experience to drive our writing forward? In a re-run of one of last year's most popular workshops, Mario Petrucci offers expert tools and a good wrench.
20th June
THE SHAPE OF THINGS
Poems have been described as 'little machines made out of words'. What a poem does can't be separated from how it's made; overall shape, punctuation and line breaks are as much a part of a poem as its words and images. Jacqui Rowe and Meredith Andrea will look at form and its fine tuning using examples and your own writing on the day.
18th July
PLANETS, PLASMAS AND PENGUINS
It's become a fad in contemporary writing to make a nod, here and there to 'science'. But how can science inform what we write, without becoming gimmicky. Mario Petrucci, an award winning writer and PhD physicist, who often uses scientific modes in work of his own such as Heavy Water, leads an intriguing workshop. [NO science or maths needed!]
8th August
PUTTING IT TOGETHER
Collections aren't bus queues or greatest hits albums; poems must be selected, arranged and ordered to ensure that they speak to each other as well as to the reader. Meredith Andrea and Jacqui Rowe will be looking at some notable pamphlets and collections for inspiration and practical ideas. Participants are encouraged to bring a selection of their own poems.
19th September
MASTERCLASS - BEGINNINGS AND SURPRISE
Getting started, surprising the reader, surprising yourself - how do we get all that to happen? Mario Petrucci leads an exciting workshop for poetry or prose.
24th October
SELF AND OTHERS
To whom, or what, is your poem addressed? And who is doing the talking? We'll consider a range of possibilities, from simple personal statements to poems that speak in other voices and strike up unexpected conversations. Another chance to try out some new and different perspectives with Jacqui Rowe and Meredith Andrea.
14th November
MASTERCLASS - WRITING IN THE SPACE BETWEEN
Finding your style, your identity, as a writer is the great goal of most poets' lives. Take a chance, with Philip Gross and other participants, and see what you might find by letting it go.
12th December
OTHER VOICES
Is it possible to write a poem in a language you don't know? Jacqui Rowe leads a workshop which also explores exotic and unexpected vocabulary and ways of translating poems from languages you don't understand. [NO knowledge of languages other than English needed!]
All workshops take place on Saturdays from 1.30 to 4.30 pm
Beginners and those with more experience are welcome at all workshops and masterclasses. Each is free-standing, so come to as many as you choose.
THE TUTORS
The first poet in residence at the Imperial War Museum and with BBC Radio 3, Mario Petrucci is a major exponent of public art, authentic performance and hybrid forms, particularly science in poetry. Heavy Water, his award-winning poem about Chernobyl, was made into a film by Seventh Art. His most recent collections are Flowers of Sulphur (Enitharmon) and somewhere is january (Perdika). An acclaimed creative writing tutor, Mario is a Royal Literary Fund Fellow, Arvon tutor and founder of Writers' Inc, which has provided workshops and residential courses for nearly a decade.
"Always focused, purposeful and stimulating."
- Julian Bell, Head of English
"Genuinely dynamic and approachable. A writer of stature, yet more than that he is a writer of the greatest generosity who can ignite the interest of others."
- Martyn Crucefix
Meredith Andrea teaches a regular poetry appreciation course in Birmingham, and works as a poetry editor and reviewer. Her pamphlet Grasshopper Inscriptions was published by Flarestack in 2006
Jacqui Rowe works extensively as a creative writing tutor in schools and with adults, including the Write On course for staff in schools. She teaches the Making Poetry evening course at MAC, Birmingham, where she also hosts Poetry Bites. Her collection, Blue is published by Flarestack.
"Thanks for your stimulating ideas and positive feedback."
"I so much enjoyed the course. You have such a gift of being able to encourage." -Participants on courses run by Jacqui Rowe
HOW TO BOOK
Cost: £17/£14 (concessions) for a single workshop
Discounts available for 4+ and 7+ workshops booked at the same time
Places are limited so early booking is recommended. To book a place contact Jacqui Rowe -
07971018825
PO Box 14779,
Birmingham
B13 8RJ
