Writing in Glass with Chloe Elliott

The Writing Squad

Watch live glass making demonstrations, have a walk round the exhibitions and write in a ‘floating’ pod.

National Glass Centre

We will observe the glassmaking process, watching expert glass demonstrations such as flameworking, glass blowing and lathe techniques. We’ll have a walk through the exhibitions on display and have a stroll by Sunderland’s former shipyard. We’ll do lots of talking and even do some writing in the Glass Centre’s pod, a unique ‘floating’ event space overlooking the Wear.We’ll talk about the glass-making process. And we might not have the language or the specific syntax to talk about the techniques or operations being used, but that’s the point. We might not even talk; we might just gesture in imitation of a glass blower, or point, or draw. What happens when words stop? And how do we use language, textually and visually to describe a man blowing on a stick? How does our writing reflect, refract and obscure the world around us? And finally, how do we work transparency and/or opacity into our writing?You might have no idea about glass, be an inveterate watcher of Blown Away, or just appreciate a good Pyrex casserole. But by the end of the workshop you’ll walk away having seen a live glass blowing demonstration! And maybe a better understanding of your relationship to glass, whether it’s a love it or leave it situ. You’ll maybe draw some parallels in your own writing to the glass-making process. You might even get to hear about an exciting, upcoming Squad glass project…Chloe Elliott is Squad 10 poet based in Durham. She is President of the Durham Uni Poetry Society and helps facilitate workshops and run spoken-word events. She is the Gold Winner of the 2020 Creative Future Writers’ Award and has seen her work published by Bitter Melon and Bad Betty Press. Her poems have also appeared in Poetry Birmingham Literary Journal, Ink Sweat &amp; Tears, The Gentian and the poetry podcast Bedtime Stories for the End of the World. She despises paperweights but has watched all two seasons of Blown Away, including the Christmas episodes. Note: This workshop is only open to members of the Writing Squad. It is not open to the general public.

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