Are you interested in writing and performing? We are looking for people to help shape and create a new musical response piece to Vaughan Williams' Riders to the Sea – “less an opera than a spoken drama raised in emotional power and expressiveness”.

Inspired by our hometown of Southampton, ArtfulScribe & OperaUpClose are working together with coastal communities to reflect and explore stories of the sea and the realities of modern coastal living.

Explore your potential as writers, singers and creative thinkers – in workshops led by composer and vocal leader Michael Betteridge and ArtfulScribe – as we write on themes of 'community' and 'change' to devise a reflection on what family means in today’s society.

All workshops are free to attend but booking required.

Dates, times and locations:

Sunday 16th April, 10am – 6pm @ MAST Mayflower Studios, 142 – 144 Above Bar Street, SO14 7DU

Saturday 29th April, 10am – 6pm @ Tracie’s Latin Club, St Barnabas Church Hall, Lodge Rd, SO14 6QS

Sunday 13th May, 9.30 – 3.30pm @ Tracie’s Latin Club

Book your place here.

A supportive creative writing group and workshop series for men with Brad Gyori.

ArtfulScribe are pleased to announce the return of the men's writing group, 'comMent'.

This creative writing workshop series encourages men to consider and write about the challenges and opportunities of contemporary masculinity.

Join us online for 6 two-hour sessions + a final two-hour sharing. We will gather each week to discuss key texts and offer feedback on original works of creative writing. This will be a supportive space fostering a sense of collaboration and community.

Participants will shape the conversation as we work together to consider how masculinity is changing, how it should continue to evolve, and how we can best support each other and the people we love. Please join us.

Book your place here.

ArtfulScribe offers a variety of writing series this Summer Season 2023, encompassing specialist courses in writing for wellbeing as well as dedicated writing groups for women and men in the Solent region.

Block booking and single session booking available.

Browse our courses here.

SO:Write Women with Susmita Bhattacharya

Author Susmita Bhattacharya leads this supportive group for women to develop skills and confidence in Creative Writing, inspiring new writing through workshop prompts, reading choices, and life experiences.

Online via Zoom: Thursdays - 6th APR | 4th MAY | 1st JUN | 6th JUL
11:00 - 1:00. Booking here.

In Person at Southampton Central Library: Saturdays - 22nd APR | 20th MAY | 17th JUN | 22nd JUL
11:15 - 1:15. Booking here.

Writing for Wellbeing with Joanna Barnard

In a supportive and welcoming environment, we will be using poetry, prose and journal forms to explore our mental and emotional wellbeing, reflect, and find joy. The aim of the programme is to generate a body of work, both individually and as a group, that may be shared to encourage others to discover the impact of writing for wellbeing.

Online via Zoom: 20th APR | 11th MAY | 25th MAY | 15th JUN | 29th JUN | 13th JUL
11:00 - 1:00. Booking here.

Write a Note, in association with ArtfulScribe, offers a monthly platform for poetry, spoken word, and live literature to find new audiences in a warm, and supportive environment at MAST in Southampton. Hosted by Anita Foxall, it's an ideal space to trial new work or perfect delivery of existing material, entry is free with donations encouraged at the end of the evening.

Write A Note will be taking place on the following days:

Mon 22 May - Studio 2
Sat 17 Jun  - Studio 3
Mon 10 Jul  - Café/Bar
Mon 18 Sep - Café/Bar

Running Time: 2 hours approx.
Age Advice: 14+

Register here for tickets.

• Stories From Our Streets is creating a story map to celebrate the voices of our diverse communities across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. Every voice matters. Every story matters. We want to hear yours. Regular story writing workshop and event updates here.
   
• Writing for Performance & Stage: a NEW online offer for academic years 10-13 on Saturday mornings from 10.00 - 11:30 at MAST, led by Lydia Rynne. Dates TBA.
   
• Writing for Page and Stage: a NEW online offer for ages 18+ on Monday evenings, 7:00 - 8:30pm, led by Tabby Hayward. Dates TBA.
   
• Our weekly creative writing groups for ages 7-10, 11-14, and 15-18 years at MAST Mayflower Studios & Lighthouse Poole. Instances are listed on our events page.
   
• Lighthouse Junior Writers: a weekly creative writing group for 7-10 years,  Saturday mornings during term-time, at Lighthouse Poole

• October Books - Author talks, Spoken Word, meetings and community groups from Southampton's Premier Independent Bookshop.
   
• Bournemouth Writing Festival - A weekend extravaganza of free and ticketed talks, walks, seminars, panels, performances and workshops for writers wanting to write. 21st - 23rd APR
   
• Putting a Poetry Pamphlet Together – with Caleb Parkin - New Writing South | £75 | This new self-paced course written by practising poet Caleb Parkin, will clarify the creative process of the process of putting a pamphlet together. 
   
• Portland Project Tempest - Literature Works | FREE | 6 weekly workshops from Thursday 20th APR | Be part of the writing team working with a professional writer to collaborate on creating the text for a site-responsive community performance inspired by Shakespeare’s The Tempest. 
   
• Winchester Poetry Prize 2023 - ​Judge: Zaffar Kunial | Entry fee: £6 for first poem, £5 for subsequent poems | Closing Date: 31 July 2023 (11:59pm)