The Creative Future Literary Awards (CFLA) & New Writing South (NWS) are offering a unique development opportunity for talented marginalised writers who are interested in working with vulnerable adults and / or in social care settings.
In an effort to support a talented writer from a marginalised background, Creative Future will be working closely with New Writing South and Preston Park Recovery Centre to offer a unique writer-in- residence opportunity. Over the course of three months, the chosen writer will be given time and space within a busy mental health recovery centre to reflect on their own writing practice and the stories they are drawn to tell, as well as an honorarium of £750 and bespoke training and support from Creative Future and out partners.
Creative Future’s Director Dominique De-Light says, ‘At Creative Future, we believe that great art can happen anywhere. By placing a talented writer in a highly-regarded mental health recovery centre, we’re hoping to create a situation which is mutually beneficial – raising the aspirations of the centre’s service users while supporting a skilled writer to take time to reflect on their creative writing practice. We’re very pleased to be working with both New Writing South and Preston Park Recovery Centre on this exciting pilot scheme, as both organisations bring a wealth of experience from their respective fields.’
Lynne Thomas, Contract Manager for Preston Park Recover Centre, says ‘We are very excited to be hosting a writer in residence in partnership with Creative Future & New Writing South. Many people using our Recovery Services tell us expressing themselves creatively can really benefit their mental health and wellbeing, and is an important part of their recovery. Being able to talk and meet with someone who has experience and success in this area will be a great opportunity.’
‘New writing comes from all the places within ourselves and within our communities. This residency at Preston Park Recovery Centre is a wonderful extension to the Creative Future Literary Awards’ mission to bring to light new writing from all the corners of our lives and society,’ says New Writing South Chief Executive John Prebble. ‘We’re delighted to be supporting the residency and excited about the writing that will come out of it. New writing has the power to change all our minds.’
UPDATE: Thank you to all of the writers who applied for this post. We will get in touch shortly about the next stage of the application process, and hope to announce the successful candidate by 11 March 2016
