What We Do and What We Don't Do!
As a charitable trust, Rising Brook Writers is administered by a Board of Trustees.
The charity's service users, (local writers who support the aims of the charity), are a willing band numbering around thirty five published - self-published - web-published and unpublished authors - playwriters - poets - journalists - feature writers - biographers - editors etc . . .
Trustees have important roles in delivering the aims of the charity. All accept writing is not a hobby or a job rather it is a consuming passion for which there is no cure.
RBW Touring Workshop Co-ordinators have probably the most challenging work programme to deliver.
(Picture: Bradbury House - Last Stop On The Workshop Tour - Nov 06)
In 2007 rolled out a new and exciting new format for our touring workshops with more opportunities for workshop participants to see their works being published. This was developed further during 2008 by the publication of the first book in the Stafford Remembers series.
RBW Touring Creative Writing Workshops in Action in Summer 2006
New writers are always welcome. No experience is necessary. Age is no barrier at RBW. All Over 50s with an interest in creative writing are welcomed.
Rising Brook Writers WRITE . . . and PERFORM . . .
and go on TOUR . . .
Why? What’s so good about creative writing?
It has been recognised in psychological research that there are therapeutic mental health and well-being benefits associated with creative writing especially for senior citizens.
Creative writing appears to positively affect self-esteem through the freedom of self-expression. It can aid cognitive memory skills – in lay terms as one gets older it’s better to ‘use it than lose it’ mentally speaking.
As an imaginative group activity in a social setting creative writing can be a positive stimulus towards learning and sharing new skills particularly to do with computers and the internet. It's also a good giggle.
Over the past three years RBW writers have been using the internet for communication and research. Some have been on Desk Top Publishing courses and have built three websites as well as designing posters and press releases. RBW design the anthologies as well as write them.
If we say it ourselves the standard being attained is remarkable.
A few recent achievements by our writers:
Two RBW writers had their plays short-listed by the Regent Theatre, Stoke on Trent and were Highly Commended and rehearsed on stage at the Victoria Hall Hanley
Two writers have had plays performed by Etruria Cafe Theatre and YellowDog Theatre. Seven writers have had their plays rehearsed by professional actors and an artistic director in an all day Drama Workshop for stage writing.
One of our senior writers was offered a publishing contract for their auto-biography of life growing up in Chester during WW11.
One writer has had several pieces of their work web-published on external sites and has now attracted an agent.
One writer has had a comedy play performed in Australia.
One won a UK national poetry competition prize in Jan 2008 and was a finalist in an international poetry competition.
All our writers have the opportunity to be web and hard copy published – and to have their work lodged in the British Library as a result of the anthologies being hard copy published.
SO is it all work, work, work then?
NO!!!
Here we are having a laugh in May 2008 fundraising:-
Great thing, a gazebo, if it rains . . .
and it did!!
RBW also go on research field trips – we have been on a behind the scenes tour of the Magistrates’ Court and sat in the public gallery in the Crown Court on three occasions to familiarise our crime writers on court procedure.
In 2006 a team were privileged to go on a top to toe tour of the Ancient High House as part of our research into the paranormal in preparation for the 2007 anthology - Tales Of The Supernatural.
The Junction Inn at Norbury was the destination for our December 2006 psychic research field trip . . .
Check out the Gallery page to see our intrepid team in action interviewing the staff and the local boatmen (and drinking a lot of coffee).
Parties from RBW also attended experimental and café theatre productions put on by the Etruria Café Theatre, YellowDog Theatre and Helix Productions.
Here we are slogging away - well, somebody has to . . .
October 2008: Here we are celebrating National Poetry Day by holding a Live Poetry Performance session.
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