WEA courses

Are you interested in your local interest? Do you have a fascinating story to share about your ancestors? Or your own life? This course will help develop your reading and research skills as well as equip you with practical tips to improve your writing. Different styles of writing will be covered and you will gain the chance to share your work with fellow local writers.

This 2-hour workshop will stimulate your imagination and palette for writing food stories from fiction, life writing and reportage. You will read published stories to provide inspiration and techniques to embellish your own writing. You can share your writing in pairs to give confidence and courage to write more.

Numerous studies have shown that creative activities, such as art, writing and music, can help reduce and even prevent stress. You may find that, after a stressful day, enjoying a hobby can help you to de-stress and even give you an energy boost. This friendly course will help you that being creative may also reduce feelings of anxiety and depression and can help you to express or manage your emotions in a positive and productive way. Especially when those feelings are difficult to put into words. This course will provide you with the opportunity to explore new and uplifting creative activities, and also give you the chance to socialise and connect with others who share the same interest. If you like the idea of making art in a calm and friendly environment, whilst also taking part in group activities and meeting new people, this is the right course for you!

This friendly creative writing course will invite you to enter into relationship with your bodies and surroundings. The session will be held in a supportive way and will integrate some simple meditation (adaptable to all bodies), prompts for creative and reflective expression through writing, and even some environmental science! You will be guided to a holistic understanding of person and place. This course is ideal for people who like to write and to contemplate how to live more skilfully as individuals, as a community and in relationship with their surroundings. There will be time for sharing small parts of your writing towards the end of the workshop but no pressure.

This course will help to develop and channel your writing ability, whether as a hobby or for publication. The emphasis is on individual development, with discussion of many aspects of writing. You will be invited to read your work and have feedback in a constructive and friendly setting. All forms are included; short stories, novels, plays, feature articles, poetry, autobiography and memoirs. We will have discussions on many aspects of writing and short exercises in class. All you need is an interest in developing and enjoying creative writing skills. For developers and beginners, who are welcome.

We’ll read a wide-range of short stories, memoir and novel extracts from diverse genres and authors. Each week we’ll be assigned two texts for close reading before the class. In class, the tutor will facilitate discussion around the techniques used and set a short writing exercise to practice a technique.

From the most idealised to the most troubled narratives, childhood has consistently been a source of inspiration in literature. In this course, we will be considering how a range of authors represent childhood, the themes that connect with this idea, and how different contexts have changed how childhood is portrayed. Through our discussions, we will be analysing texts across different genres, reflecting on the questions and challenges that writers face when representing this profoundly influential stage in life.

In a stunning location overlooking Brunel’s famous Tamar Bridge to Cornwall, this workshop will be a feast for the creative senses. You’ll be encouraged to write what you can see, hear, feel, smell, touch – and taste! - in this ever-changing landscape. The workshop is open to everyone who likes to write, from beginners to published, and all genres from poetry to prose. This is a unique and wonderful opportunity to spend a day in the company of other writers, exploring the immediate natural and human-made environment. It’s also a chance to share your written work, if you wish, at a local festival.

Starting a blog is easier than you think. If you have ideas, tips, or recommendations to share, this short blogging course can teach you the essentials to get your blog online. This beginner’s blogging course covers essential lessons in both writing and setting up your blog. You’ll learn creative writing techniques to make your blogs engaging, and digital skills to make sure you can set up and maintain your site. This course is aimed at beginners, so don’t worry if this is new to you.

On this course we will explore: ● How the ghosts of metre and rhyme may exist in free verse, and how to achieve this ● How rhythm is generated within free verse through sonic devices. ● How rhythms of conversational speech are related to the rhythm of free verse, and how this produces a form of elevated speech. ● Rhyme and Rhythm in traditional poetry. The course will explore one technique each week and concentrate on workshopping this via the development of a subject during each session. These sessions will be built from structured inspiration tasks, discussion and experimentation with ideas and languages.