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New Opportunities to Practice Creative Writing

Building on experience and energy from the international training course Writing is Rewriting coordinating organisation of the project Room of Fulfilled Dreams with support from KKF and #LV100 has started a new national initiative in Latvia - series of creative writing workshops called Rakstu Latviju. These workshops are happening starting from March 2018 until July 2018 in various places of Latvia. Each workshop has a different content and each of them is available for free to everyone who’d like to explore and develop his or her skills of creative expression using written word.

Main working language during the workshops is Latvian but if needed a translation to English can be provided. To join the sessions and find out more information you can check website or Facebook page of this project.

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The project "Writing is Rewriting" was financed with the support of European Commission’s "Erasmus+: Youth in Action" administered in Latvia by the Agency for International Programs for Youth. This blog reflects only the author’s views, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained there in.

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ALMOST TRAINING DAY 10 Some of our participants left home and some are still in Latvia to share their own methods and approaches in two public master classes that were held in Riga. We had amazing time with Ilona from Czech Republic exploring different ways how newspapers and magazines can be used in creative writing and with Pilar and Bea from Spain who shared some of their methods how to use storytelling for personal development.

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TRAINING DAY 9 Time is running fast and last day of creative writing course is here. Last energisers, summarising last thoughts in a Loesje creative writing workshop, talks about future local and international initiatives together, farewell circle and a bit sad party. Follow blog and Facebook page of the coordinating organisation of this project to find out more information about opportunities to join creative writing workshops on a local or even international level!

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TRAINING DAY 8 Participants presented and evaluated outcomes of their guerrilla writing actions in Riga and - as the program is approaching the end - following activities were focused on how all the methods and other ideas from the course could be applied to the participants work. Participants discussed what conditions and principles should be ensured and what competences would they need to run a successful creative writing workshop. Also plans for further learning were created. Among the other activities participants also explored in more detail #ErasmusPlus programme and shared their suggestions for improving the programme and expanding its scope .

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TRAINING DAY 7 During the training course we've been sharing a lot of thoughts if it is in our power to make a meaningful change in our societies. Big changes take time and generations but what we can do for sure is to improve a day of at least one person around us. Today participants of our creative writing training course went out of the walls of the conference room and tried out how is it to be a guerrilla artist and colour the world with positive messages and random acts of kindness. They did a great job. Ilayda from Turkey will tell you a bit more about it. Before that we also did some creative work indoors and created blackout poems. We recommend you to try to make at least one. You can see participants’ work and find some tips for creating blackout poetry here.

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TRAINING DAY 6 Researchers suggest that one of the reasons of why young people turn to radical groups is their poor abilities to deal with emotions and tension, find their identity and sense belonging. Thus sixth day of the training course was devoted to experimenting with combining somatic learning and creative writing as an approach to strengthen ones personal development, emotional and social skills. Participants worked with writing, movement and listening to their inner and outer world. Bea from Spain will tell you more about what we did and how it was for her.

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TRAINING DAY 5 During first half of the day participants explored various ways how creative writing can help to combat stereotypes and prejudice. Work was based on powerful TED talk of African writer Chimamanda Adichie Danger of a Single Story. Participants tried to identify harmful single stories that exist in their communities and discussed approaches how to address these stories. After that participants were introduced to a bigger practical challenge - to implement a guerrilla creative writing initiative in Riga urban environment. Several teams were created and participants got a chance to visit Riga, interview local people and explore best places where to implement their action. To find inspiration we also took a look on various existing art and creative writing guerrilla action ideas. You can check out our collection on Pinterest board of one of our trainers. Finally, participants met in an alternative art place in Riga called D27 where we had a fun improvisation afternoon writing and performing poems together with local people. You can hear more insights and information about activities in this short video interview with Sandris from Latvia.

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TRAINING DAY 4 Participants explored how creative writing methods can contribute to development of different important competences including communication in mother tongue and foreign languages and social and civic competence. Abelina from Austria will explain you more.

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Craft a Poem With Us

In the middle of the program on October 10 we all are heading to Riga to take part in an experimental event “Crafting poetry”. All the participants of this event will be divided in random teams and they have to go through different poetry and improvisation related challenges.

The event is going to take place in an artist residence “D27”. It is a non-governmental organisation that hosts exhibitions and other art related events and once in a while also parties. “D27” also strongly supports new artists to exhibit their work and it serves as a platform where people with a wish to create can meet and work together. It is a part of “Free Riga” movement that identifies abandoned spaces in Riga and opens up these spaces for creative and social activities.

The aim of “Crafting poetry” is to encourage participants to be silly and creative, to get out of their comfort zone and to share in front of he people their creations. The tasks off various forms will imply different languages, mostly team, but also some individual work, and will empower participants to think outside their everyday thinking boxes.

“Crafting poetry” is a public event, open for everyone interested to see it or to participate together with people from  ten different countries. Event will be facilitated in English by writer Linda Skranda.

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TRAINING DAY 3 After getting to know what creative writing is about and exploring some exercises and strategies that help us to be more creative, focus of this day was on how could we reduce hate and violent radicalisation with help of the stories. As our world to a big extent is made of stories and we as humans are made of stories too, it’s worth to look a closer look at various constructions of reality that support fear, frustration, isolation and injustice that often leads to aggression.

Participants also practised how to convey their message with help of the story and rewrote some common fairy tales in ways that those would deliver more positive and peace supporting messages. Aleksandra from Poland will tell you more.

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TRAINING DAY 2 There are different strategies how to boost creativity. Within first full working day of the training course Writing is Rewriting we practised some of them while exploring various creative writing prompts and improvisation, voice and movement exercises. Cesar from Romania will tell you more about the activities in this short video on our Facebook page.

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TRAINING DAY 1 Those moments before participants arrive to the activities are exciting and weird at the same time. It's calm and silent but you know that in a few minutes everything will change - rooms will get filled with laughter, ideas and people willing to learn and share.

Now everything is set up. The training room. The framework. The plan. And a group of more than 20 people from 10 different countries eager to work on their personal development and contribute to creating more peaceful and safe world for themselves and others - most of them sleeping at this moment after a long trip. And that's how it should be - tiredness and burnouts rarely lead to better world.

You can check out also video blog of the training course where Roxana from Romania is sharing some of her first impressions about the first evening in the course. It’s available here.

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Brunch and Stories: Open Master Classes in Riga

Have a creative morning in a cozy setting by the fireplace together with amazing experts from Czech Republic and Spain! There will be two master classes about creative writing and storytelling and coffee and pastries for brunch. All of that free of charge! Creative Morning Workout for More Inspiring Evening 12:00-13:30 You will learn creative writing exercises that will help you to discover that writing and being creative is not at all difficult. You will experience writing activities based on using metaphors, dialogues or description, that can be easily done any other morning while drinking morning coffee or taking the public transport to the job. We will also explore how morning newspapers can become a source of inspiration and imagination. This workshop can be a great start for those who wish to write more. Host of the workshop - Ilona Olehlova - trainer and educator living between Balkans and Czech Republic and using creative writing to bridge divided communities and to encourage people to not be afraid to share their stories and to inspire others. Tale and Dance 14:00-15:30 Life is not always bed of roses. It's full of disagreements, losses and breaks... and all these things an leave a feeling of emptiness within us. Through the narration and reflection of a story ''Empty'' we will discover that the essential what makes us special and gives us strength to overcome the adversities is within us. Body expression will guide our subconscious thoughts and emotions and will help to find the key to reach the inner happiness and reconnect with others and ourselves. This session will be hosted by two psychologists - Beatriz Aroca and Pilar Orenes. Beatriz is specialised in health and integration while specialisation of Pilar is emotional intelligence. Both of them come from Spain and are helping various target groups to find empowerment and work on self-development. Bea and Pilar are using all kind of creative tools in order to help people to connect and heal themselves, as well as to form bonds among them. * * * It's free of charge but you are welcome to bring even more snacks and drinks to share with others. Classes will be held in English. Update: registration for the event is closed.

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Here it goes - updated program of the training course. It’s still subject to change depending on needs and interests of the participants. Take a look to gain better impression of what we’re up to!

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We welcome you to enjoy eight days full of writing, artistic experiments and creative expression learning to tell stories that help to build peace, solidarity and confidence and rewrite stories that reproduce negative patterns of thoughts and actions.

All kinds of educators willing to cooperate with sending organisations from their respective countries can apply for the course. The course is for you if you love writing and want to develop your skills in this field, as well as to learn how to use writing in educational work with groups and individuals. We welcome also those who aren’t that much familiar with writing but wish to challenge themselves and perhaps discover new talents and abilities.

Participants should be able to understand and communicate in English. However no perfect language abilities expected! Applicants should be also at least 22 years old and willing to share their new knowledge back home in form of a workshop or other event.

Before applying, please, note that full participation is expected and that program will be rather intense.