What's on
About the Workshop
A one-day immersive creative writing workshop experience in the Peak District. We’ll warm up with some simple creative exercises, then head out on a short hike around New Mills to seek out the stories & poetry carved in the walls & tucked in the shadows (and, if the weather’s bad, on the shelves of the charity shops…!).
After lunch, we’ll discuss our ideas then create the optimum atmosphere for some focused creative writing. We’ll share, polish & perfect our work, and by the end you’ll marvel at the new piece of genius that you’ve summoned from thin air.
We’ll wind down with a chat about the writing life, discussing good writing habits, how to find inspiration, and how to forge writing communities.
About the Venue
It will all take place in the wonderful MakeSpace Studio, a bespoke artistic space dedicated to creative workshops, which has been lovingly designed with creativity in mind. We’ll have it all to ourselves for the whole day, and it comes complete with a kitchenette and free tea & coffee.
MakeSpace is located just up the road from the heart of New Mills, and ten minutes walk from New Mills Newtown train station. NB: there is no parking at MakeSpace itself, but there are roads nearby with free parking, and parking at New Mills Newtown only costs £2 for the whole day.
About the Tutor
Dr David Hartley (PhD, Creative Writing, University of Manchester) is a short fiction author and professional creative writing tutor who lives in New Mills. His work includes the short story collection Fauna (Fly on the Wall Press), and the immersive storytelling production ‘The Forest of Ink & Skin’ (Tartu Prima Vista Festival, 2024). He has many years experience teaching innovative and dynamic creative writing classes, particularly specialising in the craft of dark and strange short stories. He is the founder of ‘The Dark Art of Storytelling’, a workshop and mentoring collective dedicated to the craft of fiction in our unstable age.
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