september, 2024
Time
September 23 (Monday) 7:00 pm - November 18 (Monday) 9:00 pm
Location
Parkside Community College
Parkside, Cambridge, CB1 1EH
length of course
8 weeks
Course details
Brief Description Writing life stories is about capturing personal experiences in a way that can be understood and enjoyed by others. Everyone has a story to tell
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Course details
Brief Description
Writing life stories is about capturing personal experiences in a way that can be understood and enjoyed by others. Everyone has a story to tell because every one of us has lived a life unique to us. Some people want to set down their journey through life to pass on to children or grandchildren whilst others may want to write an account of their family history. Perhaps you have a diary written by a relative or letters or recordings of the stories told down through the generations that you would like to pull together in a way that can give others a glimpse into what it might’ve been like to be that person. Writing life stories always starts with the desire to explore what the intensely personal experience of living might be like from someone else’s perspective and sharing in that perspective can enrich our own lives.
Our recent personal and community experience of the COVID pandemic has led many of us to want to capture what we and others have been through in a way that means our memories of it can be revisited and never be forgotten. Memories that are shared remain relevant, teach us something about the past and present and, most importantly of all, are not lost as time moves on and the world changes around us.
So if you want to share memories of a loved one or tell your story to others or spark new interest in the experiences of a family member from the past, a short course of Writing Life Stories will lead you through how to go about getting started. If you know the skills required and the various ways of tackling and presenting a life story project your enjoyment of writing one will be enhanced, and the finished result will be something others will want to read.
This course may be funded by Cambridgeshire Skills, so full attendance is required; you will also need to complete an enrolment form so that the office can apply for the funding and complete an individual learning plan weekly with your tutor.
This course may be fully funded if:
You are over 19 years old
You live within Cambridgeshire and Peterborough combined authority
and have lived in the UK / an EEA country for the last 3 years.
Please note: this year learners will be asked for their annual income. There will be a certain threshold (which we are currently waiting for further guidance). If the income exceeds the threshold there will be a small fee to contribute (no more than £10), the funding will subsidise the rest of the cost.
Contact the office if you would like to confirm your eligibility.
If you do not qualify for funding but would still like to attend contact the office for a price.
Previous Experience and Knowledge Needed?
None.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the course, you will have the opportunity to:
- Identify the different ways a life story can be told.
- Recognise what makes a life story interesting and compelling.
- Formulate a plan to organise material and any necessary research.
- Write a short piece of memoir.
Extra costs on the course for example text book, materials or equipment:
None
For the first session you will need to bring:
Paper and pen/pencil.
On completion of this course, what might your next steps be?
Creative Writing for Beginners
The Adult Learn and Train office is able to give course information or search for alternative courses for you.
Adult Learn and Train offer courses through-out the year.
Try similar courses or look at learning something completely new.
You will find provision on some Saturday and Sundays, you will also find courses available in the day and evening at different venues in Cambridge. Courses vary in length from one-off sessions to 10 weeks or more.
TO BOOK YOUR PLACE
This course is full. Contact the office on 01223 712340 or email office@adultlearning.education to book your place on January 2025.
Tutor
Ruth WadeRuth Wade has been a full-time writer for over 30 years. For 20 of those she has been teaching the skills and craft of creative writing. She is also an accredited creativity coach. As a novelist she specialises in historical fiction and writes both under her own name and that of BK Duncan. She was a finalist in The People’s Book Prize 2016 and shortlisted for the Beryl Bainbridge First Time Author Award. You can find out more about her writing and her approach to teaching at www.ruthwade.com