Workshops

Heather has many years' experience of leading workshops in writing, script development, acting, comedy, creativity, poetry and dreamwork, with participants of all ages and levels of ability. She will design and plan workshops to suit any circumstance.

Creative writing workshop methods can be used in many ways which may not be immediately obvious, such as to free the imagination for problem-solving, to develop ideas, to encourage teamwork, to relax, and simply to have fun playing with words.

She has studied meditation (see www.resourcefulnessmeditation.com) for the last six years as well as the practice, science and art of dreaming. She finds that these link very closely with the creative process, and can be immensely liberating. She also draws on her teaching training, insofar as it supports real learning as opposed to passing tests. Self-empowerment and personal development underlie her methods, although she uses practical exercises, humour and enjoyment as key elements.

Some of the workshops led by Heather in the last four years:

Dreamwork - she ran a one-week course at the Tower Hamlets Summer University as an introduction to the study of dreams, using methods to explore dreams safely and enjoyably.

Everybody has a Story to Tell - she raised lottery funding to run a six-month creative writing project at Heathcote School in Chingford, bringing local pensioners and teenage students together to explore creative writing through workshop games and exercises, and then to write and publish their own book.

Issue-based Drama at The Vibe - she ran an eight-day project with disaffected 16-19 year-olds to devise and perform a short play at a youth centre in Dagenham, on behalf of East-side Educational Trust.

Drama and History insets and workshops - she ran a series of workshops at the Old Ford Primary School in Bow, studying history through drama with two classes and teaching the relevant skills to staff during inset sessions, also for East-side.

Celebrating Diversity - she led poetry-writing workshops with five year-olds who had limited English at the Mayflower Primary School in Poplar, for Create (Arts) Ltd.

Fees are negotiable according to the project.