Young Writers

Mayflower Young Writers (MYW)

New Young Writers groups at Mayflower Theatre

Do you like writing? Would you like to work with a professional writer and find out more about selected Mayflower Theatre shows? Are you at secondary school or college? Would you like to see your work performed and published online and in print?

As part of the SO:Write literature development initiative, ArtfulScribe and Mayflower Theatre are inviting young people to get involved with an exciting creative project that will help develop skills, confidence, and experience of a writer’s life.

Participants will explore creative writing through workshops on topics like characterisation, dialogue, setting, and plot, as well as through practical exercises involving interviews with cast and crew and reviews of performances. Writers will work across genres including non-fiction, fiction, poetry and script-writing.

Sessions will take place on a weekly basis, on Saturday mornings during term-times. There will be separate classes for writers aged 11-14 and 15-18. Each term is a 12 week block with a specific focus. For example, the spring term (14th Jan 2017 – 8th Apr 2017) will include attendance at The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime and some workshops will use this show as a basis for exploring approaches to writing.

All workshops will offer a safe, supportive environment, encouraging young writers to share work and to give and receive feedback in a respectful way that empowers voices in the workshop community.

These sessions are free but we are looking for commitment. Places are limited, please register your interest by emailing youngwriters@artfulscribe.co.uk. All workshops are suitable for beginners and advanced writers.

To find out more about Young Writers and what to expect, why not check out the Young Writers’ blog here.

We look forward to hearing from you and hope to see you at Mayflower Theatre!

SO:Write is a 2 year literature development project that aims to elevate the profile of writers and writing in Southampton. SO:Write is supported by Arts Council England and led by ArtfulScribe in partnership with Mayflower Theatre, Apples and Snakes, John Hansard Gallery, Nuffield, Southampton Festivals, and Southampton Libraries.

Recognising the importance of nurturing creative talent and providing conditions where art can flourish, SO:Write includes comprehensive provision for young people who wish to explore a writer’s life beyond school walls and academia. Working in partnership with Mayflower Theatre, Young Writers will gain access to shows and visiting artists, using opportunities to engage with theatre programming as stimulus for the creation of new work. Young Writers will work across genres including writing for stage, radio, television, commercial publication, flash fiction, poetry, blogs, and journalism and will learn to craft reviews, interviews and factual articles for a variety of media in what promises to be a major stepping stone en-route to a rewarding career.