Write Now

Introducing Write Now. Three, FREE ten-week courses led by industry professionals, for anyone age 16 and over living in Blaenau Gwent. Ideal for those interested in creative writing and poetry, song writing or play writing.

• Creative Writing and Poetry: starting Wednesday 13 September 2023.

This course will help build your writing confidence and creativity, looking at stories, characters, style, performance and self-expression; whether you want to write as a hobby, a career or simply improve your ability to communicate through writing. Led by professional author Mark Blayney, who has won prizes for his writing in stories, poems, performance and journalism. Mark is a Royal Literary Fund tutor and works regularly with young writers and performers.

• Song Writing: starting Wednesday 17 January 2024.

This course will help new and experienced song writers tap into their senses and inject writing skills with vivid details, effectively use metaphors and language and add rhythm to writing and phrases to create catchy, meaningful tunes that others will want to listen and sing along to. Led by South Wales singer/songwriter Jules Gardener, who has taught song writing for Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and Community Music Wales. Jules writes songs with depth and meaning, dealing with everything from life to social issues, with his work released by labels including Universal Music, Copro and Parabellum and as co-producer/writer for Polydor and Mercury records.

• Play Writing: starting Wednesday 10 April 2024.

This course invites you to join professional writer Mark Blayney and special guest playwrights from Wales on a journey of discovery to get your storytelling ideas out into the world. Exploring dialogue, character, dramatic turns, and turning the expected on its head, we will delve into sound and movement, as well as structure and technique. Along the way you’ll get to improvise, have fun, make new friends... and maybe see your writing on the stage one day.

Write Now is funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in partnership with Blaenau Gwent CBC.