Everybody has a story; what’s yours?

On a cold and icy morning earlier this week an intrepid group of WI members gathered at the CFWI Conference Room in Thremilestone to take part in the first of 6 play writing sessions led by local playwright Paul Farmer. Theirs is the first of 6 community groups who over the coming 4 months will be learning techniques to help them write a 10 minute piece of theatre for the stage.

These workshops form the community element of a new Hall for Cornwall project called Anyone Can Write which is taking place from October 2009 to May 2010.

Isobel King Hall for Cornwall Projects Manager said:

“I was very lucky to sit in on the first of our community writing workshops. For this project we have been seeking out people who are just willing to have a go, no prior experience is necessary. Taking part in a project like this will be fun but there is also a degree of hard work. You also have to brave enough to share what you have written with others in the group and ultimately, if you write something to be performed, with a public audience.

The WI group were a really friendly group of ladies who I’m sure will support each other through the creative process. I look forward to dropping in to another of their sessions and hearing what they have written.”

About This Project

Anyone Can Write is about instilling skills, confidence and creativity into people who may never have thought of writing a play before. It was kickstarted in October with a week long workshop foccussing on writing for the stage which was led by Duncan Macmillan. Duncan won the Second Prize and the Writer-in-Residence Bursary at the inaugural Bruntwood Playwriting Competition for his play Monster, which was subsequently nominated in the Best New Play category at the MEN and TMA Theatre Awards. He was Pearson Playwright in Residence at Paines Plough and had written for the National Theatre Studio, Paines Plough and the Royal Exchange he has also had work staged at Theatre 503 and broadcast on BBC Radio 4 (Afternoon Play).

The Anyone Can Write project is part funded by FEAST. FEAST is a new programme to make great art happen in Cornish villages and towns. The ambition is to touch and inspire people of all ages and backgrounds and generate a whole new wave of creative activity in our communities.

For more information on FEAST go to www.cornwallculture.co.uk/feast