Old Vinyl Factory Walk and Write

OVFCP65I have a passion for Industrial Archaeology, fuelled by my love of photography. I have been known to trespass in derelict buildings in search of a good shot. (1978, O level photography exam, theme disintegration; me: Woolwich Maternity Hospital which had just been abandoned- yards and yards of doors stacked in an alleyway, broken frosted glass, I loved it – now an unattractive block of flats). I use my camera as a note-taker, as well as an art tool.

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I discovered The Old Vinyl Factory in Hayes through MVMNT cafe in Greenwich, which is owned by the same development company, and after a site visit (with camera of course) and a huge amount of support from Site Manager Jacqui Tudor (networker extraordinaire), organised to run a workshop there, through Hillingdon ArtsWeek.

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I wanted to pull in the history of the site (EMI HQ from 1900’s) but actually it was the space and its uses, and the contrast between the clean white spaces of the refurbished buildings and the distressed, broken windowed, rooflessness of the yet to  be refurbished that shaped the workshop.

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We explored the site and the archive exhibition, and trod carefully around dead pigeons, discarded fire extinguishers and broken glass, writing as we went and paying particular attention to space and movement, to play around with kinesthetic language. We barely scraped the surface of the potential of the place.  if you get a chance to look around, take it!

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If you would like to find out more about our writing workshops please take a look here, where you can also sign up to be alerted to workshops booked near you.  Or you can always ask us to book something specially, if you can provide participants!

© Cherry Potts/ Arachne Press 2013

Bookings being taken for writing workshop

Sussex Prairies…

A Garden Full of Metaphor is NEXT WEEK.

If you like the idea of writing in a garden of spectacular proportions and dazzling grace, then this weekend of workshops at Sussex Prairies is for you!

7th & 8th July 2012

Join author Cherry Potts (Mosaic of Air, Tales Told Before Cockcrow, The Blackheath Onegin) for a weekend of writing and inspiration for all the senses in the glorious surroundings of the gardens at Sussex Prairies, Morlands Farm, Wheatsheaf Road, Henfield, West Sussex  BN5 9AT

Why write in a garden?

A garden gives you the opportunity to make use of all your senses: you see the colours, you feel the textures, you hear the wind in the grasses, you smell the different perfumes; you taste the flavours in food cooked using the plants.

The programme:

Saturday              10-1 Sight Lines              Sunday                 10-1 Motion and Emotion

                                1-2 Lunch                                                         1-2 Lunch

                                2-5 Writing with your ears                          2-5 Sugar & Spice

 The Price:   £120

What’s included:

  • 4 workshops using NLP (Neurolinguistic Programming) techniques to unleash your imagination and get you writing, which will explore language, character creation and plotting
  • unrestricted (exclusive in the mornings) access to the garden and farm
  • home cooked refreshments and lunch, using ingredients from the farm and garden

Sussex Prairies – the sound of wind in the grasses ….

Places to stay:

If you need somewhere to stay overnight, Sussex Prairies has a small B&B (fully booked that weekend, sorry!),  we can provide a list of other nearby B&Bs, or you can camp on site.  Ask for details.

Booking:

Strictly limited to 15 people. Enquiries  0208 699 0206

Book  online