Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Workshop Turnaround


One of the members of our writer’s group is also among the organizers of a local art festival.  She has been a key supporter of the art of the word aka the literary component of the festival.  Many times there has been a known author brought in to present a writer’s workshop and to participate in the literary evening’s ‘open mic’ event.  There are a core group of people that will sign up, faithful workshop attendees, faithful participants that will read their work to the audience be it few or many.  This has been the formula for many years now.  But it isn’t easy.  The authors have to be sought out and booked.  The financial aspects have to be arranged.  The bushes have to be beat so that other people in the community other than our writer’s group will attend.  It’s hard work and it’s harder work to keep it fresh. 

Enter the workshop turn around.  The bushes will be left alone.  The budget will be easy, it will cost nothing.  The attendees will be the faithful ones.  The workshop will be taught by the attendees.  Simply put, the faithful participants of the art festival literary component will set aside the afternoon to do something other than meet as they do for writer’s group where the agenda is to read their current projects and offer suggestions.  We will each be given the chance to present a mini-workshop.  It might be big, it might be small.  It might be original or it might be something off the Web.  No matter, it’s turn-around time.  We can learn from one another and we know stuff that we can share.  I love it.  And if anyone misses the format from other years, where they had the opportunity to attend a workshop, perhaps they will be motivated to get involved in a different way.  Or they can join our group!