The Right to Write is catching!

Working with Nottingham City of Literature and Writing East Midlands, I have been running creative writing workshops at The Brunts Academy since April. The aim is to expand opportunities for young writers in Mansfield, opening up the door to the creative industry. All of the writers involved enjoyed the workshops, one saying that they liked ‘the fun way it was all planned’, and ‘Mia’s love for writing reflected on others’. I am so proud of all of the writers that have been involved in this first run of the collective, their work never failing to blow me away!

The Right to Write initiative also works towards building awareness of literature, encouraging writers to draw on those that have come before them as a means of inspiration. This included workshops on blackout poetry, where nobody wanted the Shakespeare extract, and writing responses to texts such as Queen’s ‘Killer Queen’ or Suzanne Collins’ ‘The Hunger Games’. Each session, I relayed to students any upcoming opportunities, key examples being Nottingham Poetry Festival and other local writing groups.

In June, Mansfield Museum saw the first of many Right to Write open mics. This was a culmination of eight weeks of hard work, members of Nottingham city of Literature and Writing East Midlands joining us in sharing our poetry. I hosted the evening alongside Annie Cross, a former Slamovision contestant and member of Nottingham City of Literature’s Youth Advisory Board.

Themes ranged from experiences of Mansfield to anxieties over AI, the whole room falling silent after one poet announced he co-wrote his poem with artificial intelligence.  It is no secret how much fear AI stirs up in the creative industry: poetry, marketing, and journalism all at risk from technology. Luckily, however, the sombre mood didn’t last long, two young creatives performing their original song ‘Falling Apart’ to a crowd of eager ears. For some of the performers, it had been their first experience of an open mic, and the poetry on show was phenomenal!

I plan to grow the collective, expanding into other schools in the Mansfield area, my goal being to ensure every young writer’s creativity has an outlet. Any school involved will receive creative workshops by myself, along with invites to regular open mics at Mansfield Museum. These open mics will unite writers from every school involved in the collective, creating a community of Mansfield’s young writers.

I am also involved in the Nottingham City of Literature Youth Advisory Board, as well as holding the Shadow Writer position for the Young Writers group at Mansfield Palace Theatre.

If this is something your school would be interested in, please send any enquiries to contactus@nottmcityoflit.org