Institute of Continuing Education (ICE)
We are delighted to announce the return of our Creative Writing Retreats at Madingley Hall, which are in addition to our range of Creative Writing Weekend Courses.
Our Creative Writing Retreats balance tutor-led sessions and motivational starts to your writing day, with time to focus on your projects, and small-group workshops.
Each short, intensive retreat is designed to inspire writing and forge a writing community, and includes scheduled time to write, discussions and sharing your work and readings with fellow students.
All of our Creative Writing Retreats take place at Madingley Hall, the University of Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education’s headquarters: a beautiful 16th-century manor house, set in landscaped gardens.
You will be guided by author/academic, Yvonne Battle-Felton who aims to support you in starting a project, developing a short story or novel, and/or encouraging you to complete a draft. As you progress through the carefully-designed weekend, we would expect you to be motivated by ideas sparked by discussion sessions and conversations with your fellow writers, inspired by your surroundings and encouraged by the small group workshops, with the result that you are able to make good headway on your chosen writing project.
Our Creative Writing Retreats cost the same as our regular weekend courses. You can sign up to be resident, or, if you are local to Madingley, you can attend as a non-resident, entitled to all meals except breakfasts.
During the ‘Your time to write’ sessions, Dr Yvonne Battle-Felton will hold up to 5 x five-person workshops. These are optional: participants who wish to join these will be assigned a timeslot in advance. Workshop participants will be asked to submit up to 750 words in advance.
| 20.30 – 22.00 | Introductions and discussion: Weekend schedule and introductions - led by Dr Yvonne Battle-Felton |
| 9:00 – 9:30 | Setting up for your writing session Led by Dr Yvonne Battle-Felton |
| 9:30 – 10:30 | Your time to write |
| 10:30 – 11:00 | Coffee (optional break with other participants) |
| 11:00 – 12:30 | Your time to write |
| 12:45 – 13:45 | Lunch |
| 13:45 – 14:15 | Tackling issues: what’s on your mind about your writing task? Led by Dr Yvonne Battle-Felton |
| 14:15 – 18:00 | Your time to write (tea available with other participants 4.00-4.30pm) |
| 18:30 – 19:45 | Dinner |
| 20:00 – 21:30/21:45 | Short readings – sharing your own writing (5 minutes for each participant, reading out either your workshop submission piece, something you have written during the Retreat, or a piece you have written before the Retreat) Chaired by Dr Yvonne Battle-Felton |
| 9:00 – 9:30 | The final hurdle: setting goals for the rest of the Retreat Led by Dr Yvonne Battle-Felton |
| 9:30 – 10:30 | Your time to write |
| 10:30 – 11:00 | Coffee (optional break) |
| 11:00 – 12:00 | Your time to write |
| 12:00 – 12:30 | Closing reflections Led by Dr Yvonne Battle-Felton |
| 12:45 | Lunch |
| Departure after lunch |
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