On Saturday - a hideously rain-lashed Wuthery Heighty sort of a day - we had a splendid launch of my collection of watershed writing: 'The Cloud Appreciation Society's Day Out' in the watershed exhibition at Cliffe Castle. Becky Davies (Bradford Museums' Education Officer) had put on a good spread of grub and drinkies, and everyone tucked in - especially Morgan (the youngest audience member at 6 years old!).
I've done thousands of performances, so was caught by surprise at a sudden attack of nerves! But all the audience was really warm and listened with fabulous attention - thanks v v much to everyone! And I sold loads of books - so that was a great boost. I am investigating possibilities of touring the watershed exhibition to Hebden Bridge and Littleborough, and if those venues go ahead, I'm sure I will do further performances there, but, if not then - very weirdly - this will be my last watershed event. It's been an amazing 'gig' - this whole year of meeting fabby watershed people and having fun with them up on the moors, in textile, batik and writing workshops, performances and launches. A HUGE thankyou to all of you who've been involved, and to all those who supported me so much - you're all STARS!!! I've just run a 2-hour creative writing workshop about the Watershed exhibition at Cliffe Castle, and can genuinely say that the group I worked with are the bravest I've ever met. Only one of them 'came out' as having any creative writing experience - the rest said they were scared of writing, and that it wasn't their 'thing'. And yet they threw themselves into the writing exercises I gave them, and, in the final exercise, many of us were in tears with the beauty, power, poignancy and bravery of the pieces they wrote about watersheds they had faced in their lives. They are SUCH a wonderful, and courageous group that they explored: breakdowns, ill husbands, agrophobia, being victimised, leaving husbands, birth of grand-daughters, the joys of retirement, the sheer number of emotional watersheds you had to face in your life just to get through it... It was one of the most moving workshops I have ever had the pleasure to be part of. So, WELL DONE to all the ladies of the 'Responses To Art' group!: Lillian, Sue, Lesley, Ann, Dinah, Chris, Anni, Sybil, Dania, Joan, Irene, Darryl, Susan, Jenny, Andrea, Marion and Suzanne - you're all STARS!!! Bradford Museums 'Responses To Art' group - meets every month, to respond - usually through some form of visual art - to a current exhibition at one of Bradford's Art Galleries or Museums. They are a lively, and very welcoming group, and are always keen to have new members. You don't have to be brave - or white - or a woman - to join! For the full programme of events, contact Becky Davies (Education Officer) at Bradford Museums: [email protected]
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AuthorChar March - I'm a freelance writer and tutor. I am Writer-in-Residence for the Pennine Watershed Project, and this blog takes you through some of the work I've done in that role Archives
December 2011
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