Creative Writing & Media Studies

This group meets on Tuesdays between 15.15 and 17.00 pm.

Tutor: David Newell

This workshop explores a variety of different writing methods, comprising prose, plays, film, poetry, television and radio - we aim high and actively encourage individual expression, whatever the medium (recently we had a go at stop motion animation).

Creative Writing allows people to express themselves in ways that they previously may not have explored. But it’s not all writing, since sometimes, discussing stories or favourite (or disliked) film and television can be equally effective.

In the field of drama and plays we not only write our own material but we've had members’ sketches performed on stage and entered for national competitions for radio (The Spin) and television with the BBC (The Last Laugh), and our work has been short-listed in both. Also a radio play we wrote, "Sparks" was eventually performed by members and recorded at Bradford Community Broadcasting.

Overall the emphasis is on the two bravest steps you can take; writing something and then actually reading or letting others read that piece. The atmosphere is supportive and positive. Whether it is Haiku (It’s just like maths!) Urban Myths, tall tales, jokes or songs. We always try to see our projects through to full fruition, although we’d still like to see our proposed silent short film committed to camera.

David Newall, our media tutor says: "We’re not looking for writers, we’re looking for participants. It takes a lack of imagination to say people with Aspergers have a lack of imagination!"