The House of the West Wind: College of Storytelling presents a week-long online course: Word Dancing.
This exploration of creative writing and narrative arts takes place over five days and is led by Shonaleigh and Dr Simon Heywood.
With growing popularity of literary festivals and spoken word events, writers are often required to TELL their work.
Similarly, storytellers often want to develop their tales in a written form.
But to write and to tell are two very different art forms.
As a writer, this course will show you what to adapt to be able to tell your tale.
As a storyteller, this course will show you how to adapt your oral story for the page.
This five-day course will also introduce you to the unique and precious Drut’syla midrash – the hereditary training of traditional Jewish women storytellers.
We will explore ways in which the Drut’syla’s methods and approaches can be adapted practically to creative writing, storytelling and the contemporary arts. You will gain the tools to tell your story in whatever medium you choose.
Shonaleigh and Simon will guide you through a range of practical exercises and creative explorations of narrative and story.
This course is suitable for creatives from any discipline who use narrative or story as inspiration: artists in any field, writers, storytellers, leaders, social workers, teachers, librarians, communicators or community workers.
It is also suitable for story-lovers at any stage of their creative journey.
What Shonaleigh says about Word Dancing:
“Word Dancing really makes you look at the difference between plot and story. It really enhances the language that you use to convey those. This course is not just for storytellers. It is really valuable for writers, narrative artists, poets, and people who use narrative at the core of their work. For me, it’s about passing on a really robust, transferable, traditional resource, so it doesn’t die. That’s my secret agenda! This course is not for politicians and businessmen. In your hands, it makes story really powerful. And politicians are the last people I want to make powerful.”
This course runs Monday 26th June to Friday 30th June. Sessions will take place live over Zoom, 10.30am-1pm and 2.30pm-5pm each day, with lots of breaks and engaging activities away from the screen.
Sessions will not be recorded, you will need to attend live.
Any questions? Email [email protected]