Changing Lives with Words
COMMUNITY AND CONSULTANCY WORK
WRITER SUPPORT
Available for:
Coaching – I am an Accredited life coach for creative artists with several years’ experience in one to one coaching sessions. Please see The Writer Highway for further information.
Mentoring – I am an experienced writer mentor, and also deliver training for mentors (most recently for Writing East Midlands and Writing Yorkshire). I have previously undertaken mentoring for organisations including Arts Training Central, Writing East Midlands, Derbyshire County Council and Nottingham Writers’ Studio. Please see The Writer Highway for further information.
Professional Development Planning (PDP) – I am a trained PDP guide and have delivered a large number of PDP workshops for writers and creative artists, both one to one and for groups through Lapidus, Writing East Midlands, Derbyshire County Council Literature Development, Creative Derbyshire, Creative Leicestershire, Nottingham Writers’ Studio and independently.
Lecturing – I was an Associate Lecturer at the University of Nottingham on the BA in Creative and Professional Writing from 2002-2012.
For more writer support, see The Writer Highway.
WRITING IN THE COMMUNITY
Available for:
Residencies – I have undertaken several Writer Residencies, including two Writers in Schools posts for First Story; for St Martin’s Church, Bilborough’s Heritage Lottery Restoration Project (see Commissions), and for the University of Nottingham.
Specialist Writing for Wellbeing work – Residencies have also included those for Derbyshire Children’s Homes, Elderly Day Centres, and for several years, directing the Inside Out and Open Doors Writers in Prison Projects at HMP Sudbury and HMP Foston. I was awarded an Honorary MLitt for my work improving mental health through writing in Derbyshire, in 2014 (see My Story).
Facilitation – I have 20 years’ experience of facilitating creative writing workshops in various genres for all sectors of the community across all age groups. Please see The Writer Highway for current writing courses.
Literature Development – I was Nottingham’s Literature Development Officer for 8 years from 2000-2008, in which role I also directed Nottingham’s Poetry in the City Festival for 4 consecutive years.
CONSULTANCY
Previous consultation work includes:
British Council – Manager of the Contemporary Writers’ Website from 2006-2012
Writing East Midlands – Development of the Writer Highway Writer Support Map with Nottingham Writers’ Studio, supported by Arts Council England.
Derbyshire County Council – Writer Support work for the Writing Ambitions Programme 2012-2016.
Derbyshire Wellbeing Project – Consultant, 2008-2010.
Apples and Snakes – report and review of East Midlands Literature Provision
Various consultancy roles for Writing East Midlands, Derbyshire County Council, University of Nottingham, Derby Hospitals and Nottingham Writers’ Studio.
EDITING
Editor, Poetry Nottingham International 1995-2000.
Editor, Candlestick Press biographies 2012-2016.
Various anthologies, articles and magazines for a number of organisations.