Events
Shortbread
After the success of their 2011 workshops, the Dundee-based organisation ShortbreadStories has decided to run even more courses in 2012.
ShortbreadStories will be hosting residential courses in Spain and the Scottish Highlands.
These classes emphasize the importance of a writing community, and use discussion, workshop and dedicated writing time to facilitate the creative process.
The four-day course in Spain is set in the hills of Andalusia in a secluded villa on a working chestnut farm, and the three-day Highlands course will be in a lovely secluded cottage on the edge of the town of Dornoch.
More information can be found at ShortbreadStories or by contacting Fiona at Fiona@shortbreadstories.com.
New ground was broken on Friday 24th June 2011, when a play, entitled The Wedding, was performed in the Rep theatre's full auditorium before an invited audience of 'guests' and a film crew. This was a truly special event for a number of reasons.
Firstly, the play wasn't scripted by a single playwright, but rather by a dozen different writers who all wrote their own character-part in a chronological depiction of a wedding. This gave the piece a unique sense of reality through the use twelve disparate and different 'voices'.
Secondly, the play was performed by the writers, though one or two stand-ins helped cover as holiday relief on the night. Again, the authenticity of the 'voices' came through strongly because the delivery, and depth of feeling, came from the writer.
Thirdly, the piece was written by postgraduate students on our Creative Writing programme. What had started as a simple session on the uses and advantages of 'the monologue' was turned by the students, with the not inconsiderable help of actress Annie Bottoms, into the basis for a compelling piece of dramatic theatre.
Lastly, the play tangibly showed the level of progress in the important drive for collaboration between the University of Dundee and the Dundee Rep. The University's Chair of Creative Writing, Kirsty Gunn, and James Brining, Chief Executive of the Rep, enjoyed fruitful discussions which paved the way for the Rep's generous use of their 'stage'. Their Education Officer, Vikki Doig, along with Eddie Small from the Creative Writing programme, conspired to take the concept 'from page to stage'.
The Literary Dundee scene has deservedly become renowned for the special happenings and wonderful events which proliferate, including the very successful and innovative Literary Salon evenings, and The Wedding has proved to be a glittering extra. The applause of a delighted guest-list at the Rep, and at an earlier performance in the DCA, witnessed and thoroughly enjoyed by Mark Buckland, MD of Cargo Publishing, was encouraging testament to the efforts of students Erika Anderson, Josie Jules Andrews, Iain Arnott, Hazel Ellis-Saxon, Annika Firmenich, Keren MacPherson, Nicola Robson, Jane Prior, Alison Rome, Aldona Steponaviciute and Zoe Venditozzi. They have pioneered a trail that subsequent students can hopefully follow.
Eddie Small
25/07/11
