An award-winning initiative launched by researcher Maria Antoniou and senior lecturer Jess Moriarty in the School of Language, Literature and Communication is helping academics to rediscover their creative side and explore writing processes with a range of innovative writing retreats and workshops.
The retreats, entitled Work Write Live, use innovative creative writing strategies and established teaching methods to make the writing process easier, more enjoyable and more effective.
Launched in 2007, the initiative has earned the academics an award for innovation from the university, along with funding to commercialise the project and allow lecturers along with more diverse groups benefit from the retreats.
Offering bespoke courses that are tailored to people's needs, the writing workshops have been held for staff at both Brighton and Sussex universities through the universities' joint Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, InQbate. In addition, overnight residential retreats provide academics with space to reflect and develop their writing techniques.
Lecturer and writer Jess Moriarty said her motivation to launch the workshops came from her own experience, after she found the conflicting demands on her time and the pressure to publish was making writing a chore rather than a pleasure. "Even though I teach creative writing, I found the writing side of my job was something I left to the last minute and was motivated by deadlines."
"In the workshops we discuss our motivators for writing, talk about writers block and discuss our experiences. Some participants are widely published and some are new researchers. But no matter where people come from, they say the same thing: the pressure had damaged their confidence in writing."
The innovative work of the lecturers was profiled in this week's relaunched Times Higher Education Magazine (published on the 10 January 2008).
The next residential writing retreat for lecturers and researchers will be held on 18 and 19 March 2008 at Pelham House Hotel and Conference Centre, Lewes, East Sussex.
To find out more about the retreats visit www.workwritelive.com or call (01273) 644546.
Contact: Marketing and Communications, University of Brighton, 01273 643022
