Writing the Self: exploring creative approaches for personal and professional development and wellbeing

Friday 14th September

Co-hosted by Bangor University and the Wales Institute of Social & Economic Research, Data & Methods (WISERD)

Writing for wellbeing is the interactive use of poetry, prose, fiction and non-fiction ‘to stimulate writing and other creative responses with a view to promoting self-expression, self-awareness and wellbeing’ – www.iapoetry.org

The focus is the transformative power of poetry and any examples in your daily work with groups which illustrate the poetry therapy work well.

Programme:

9:30                  Arrival, registration and refreshments

10:00 -10:15     Welcome & seminar opening, Jessica Clapham, EdD Course Director and Researcher, School of Education, Bangor University

10:20 - 11:00    "Press send - writing to communicate" An exposition of the human need to explore and communicate self to other, and the ways and means of doing this through the practice of poetry therapy. Keynote speaker: Jill Teague, Mentor & Independent Facilitator, Executive Director,  iaPOETRY

11:00 - 12:25    Poetry and wellbeing workshops, "taster" workshops, choice of 2:

11:00 - 11:40     1. "Poetry as Healer" - exploring the Poetry Therapy process - Jill Teague 

                          2. "The Writers key": An introduction to the therapeutic potential of writing for wellbeing,  which invites us all to be; "the authors of ourselves" John-Paul Sartre - Sarah Edwards

11:45 - 12:25     1. "Ekphrastic writing, using an image for creative writing for wellbeing" -  Clare Scott

                          2. "Poetry and Identity: Exploring the self through myth" - Jessica Clapham 

12:30 - 13:00    Plenary (iaPOETRY peer group acting as panel for questions)

13:00 - 14:00    Lunch and farewell

For further details, please contact Dr Jessica Clapham or Jane Graves, WISERD Events Officer 

Taster workshop options:-

Jill Teague “Poetry as Healer” - exploring the Poetry Therapy process.

I am a writer and Poetry Therapy Mentor and Practitioner based in Snowdonia, North Wales. I am founder of Out of the Blue writing where I run writing for wellbeing workshops and courses, working with groups and individuals. My “Treading Softly” workshops offer opportunities to write in nature, which is a particular interest of mine. I am an Executive Director of the International Academy for Poetry Therapy, a credentialing organisation for those wishing to train as Poetry Therapy Practitioners.

Sarah Edwards - "The Writers key": An introduction to the therapeutic potential of writing for wellbeing, which invites us all to be ; "the authors of ourselves" John-Paul Sartre

Sarah Edwards is a Humanistic Counsellor currently working within the Bereavement Counselling and has integrated therapeutic writing into her work for many years now, with a diverse range of clients and groups. Sarah has worked as a Counselling Service developer, Counsellor and Therapeutic Writing Facilitator, in a variety of specialist counselling and health services for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and its Talking Therapies Partners across North Wales. She is nearing the training with iaPOETRY and her mentor Jill Teague. 

Clare Scott 'ekphrastic writing, using an image for creative writing for wellbeing' 

Clare Scott’s PhD in Creative Writing involves the undertaking of psychogeography in West Wales.  She is an educational neurodiversity consultant, a director of Rowan Journeys Community Interest Company and Chair of Lapidus International, the expressive arts organisation which supports and promotes professional practice in the provision of words for wellbeing activities: creative writing, performance poetry and other oral forms.  

Jessica Clapham “Poetry and identity: Exploring the self though myth’.

Jessica is a writer and writing and wellbeing facilitator. She is Director of the professional doctorate at Bangor. Jessica's professional work has involved lecturing in English Language and Literature and directing the MA TEFL and the Secondary PGCE English Course at Bangor University, which included the Wales Jamaica Project 2006: working with PGCE Primary and Secondary trainees in schools to explore the historical links between Sugar, Slate a Slavery in Wales and Jamaica though digital storytelling and international links to develop Intercultural Awareness. She is training as a Poetry Therapy practitioner, working with bilingual groups at Storiel Museum and Art gallery and is the All-Wales Representative for National Association of Writers in Education (NAWE) and Lapidus International.