Rebecca Althaus
Writers in Cornwall
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making spaces to empower women and their writing voices
Women's Grief & Creative Writing Group
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Following on from their sell-out event 'Poetry and Conversation about Dying, Death, & Grief' Rebecca Althaus and Rosie Hadden will facilitate a six month Grief & Creative Writing Group in the heart of Penzance.
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Women who are grieving will have a space to tell their stories, be held by their community and develop a sustaining writing practice.
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The group will be run by local women for local women and embrace the diverse range of their experiences from perinatal to older child death, from widowhood to the death of parents, friends and siblings.
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The WiC project will work in partnership with The Hypatia Trust, a collaborative community hub advancing cross-platform women's equality, and with Tori Cannell, community coach and mentor. ​
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Participation is fully subsidised, including childcare costs, making the group accessible to all.
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Rebecca Althaus
Rosie Hadden
Tori Cannell
Mez Packer
Rebecca Althaus
Mentoring for Women Writers
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The WiC project will provide a funded opportunity for six local women coming out of the Grief & Creative Writing Group to develop and explore their writing over six months.
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Tutor, mentor, and novelist Mez Packer will work alongside facilitator, researcher, and poet Rebecca Althaus to nurture the women's creative growth.
Writing Residencies at The Alt Haus
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The WiC project will provide fully funded
one week residencies to the local women coming out
of the Grief and Creative Writing Group and mentoring programme.
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The Alt Haus is a self-contained, residential cabin designed as a space for writers to immerse themselves in their creative projects.
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​It is a simple place located on the high moor above Penzance,
at the westernmost end of Cornwall, wild and raw,
circled by massive views of land and sea and sky.
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"The cabin feels remote enough that you could, if you wished, make a nest of your days there and really get deep into something; but also you’re only a bus ride away from the bustle of St Ives, or the cafes, pubs and independent shops of Penzance. Plenty of writerly lore, art history and geological intrigue enriches the local area, and the cabin is well-stocked with books on the matter. I completely fell in love with the flora and fauna of the moors, the sense of quiet intimacy, the infinite ferns. Rebecca ensured I felt totally welcome and was close at hand if I needed anything. I wrote loads of poems here and will remember my stay forever." Maria Sledmere, The Grammarsow 2022 poet in residence
Pedagogical Practice
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Documentation of pedagogical practice where creative writing becomes a tool for cultural transformation.
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As lead project manager for WiC Rebecca Althaus will document the lessons learned as well as building on her existing teaching skills.
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Award winning poet Mimi Khalvati, founder of The Poetry School and international creative writing teacher, will mentor Rebecca in facilitating creative writing groups.
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Katrina Naomi, award winning poet and mentor, will support Rebecca in her mentoring role and tutor her in advanced mentoring skills.
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Mimi Khalvati
Katrina Naomi