Rebecca Althaus
Writers in Cornwall
from community hub to private writing house the WiC project makes spaces to nourish writers beginning, emergent, and established
Women's Grief & Creative Writing Group.
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Following on from their sell-out evening of
'Poetry and Conversation about Dying, Death, & Grief'
Rebecca Althaus and Rosie Hadden will be facilitating a six month
Grief & Creative Writing Group in the heart of Penzance.
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Women who are grieving and new to creative writing
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 will embrace the diverse range of their experiences
from perinatal death to divorce to queer grief.
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The WiC project will be working 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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Funding, including childcare costs, will be available
for those on a low income so that the group is 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 two 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 local women coming out of their Grief and Creative Writing Group
and mentoring programme, and to nationwide emerging writers through
partnerships with Literature Works, Writing West Midlands,
and The Grammarsow Project.
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The Alt Haus is a self-contained, residential writing house
made for writers to immerse themselves in their creative projects.
​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 be documenting the lessons
learned through the project 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 tutor 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