Voices of Colchester invited to write

An Essex student on placement as Writer in Residence at Colchester’s Firstsite gallery is running a writing workshop this weekend, and everyone’s welcome.

Under the guidance of MA Creative Writing student Lelia Ferro, the one hour ‘Flash Write’ session at Firstsite will see people write their response to artworks and objects featured in the gallery’s Wunderkammer exhibition.

“The workshop is for everyone,” said Lelia. “We are looking for a varied response. They will represent the voices of Colchester gazing in wonderment at fascinating items from their archives.”

The word Wunderkammer is German in origin and means ‘cabinet of curiosities’. Interesting artefacts from Colchester and Ipswich Museums’ archives – some rarely shown – were chosen for the exhibition.

Lelia said: “In Victorian times the Wunderkammer would have been a bit of a party piece and I am looking to capture that atmosphere.”

Lelia is on a month-long placement as Writer in Residence as part of her Playwriting in the Community module. Residencies offer artists the chance to spend time in an organisation or community, producing new creative work inspired by the people, spaces, objects or visitors. 

The writing produced at the workshop will help inform Lelia’s work: “I hope to incorporate the voices into my own work about the Wunderkammer, so it is a bit like the crowd speaking. I think it is important as a writer in residence to bring in other writers, prospective writers, visitors and staff, so that I am a conduit to responses, not just a writer.”

Our Playwriting in the Community module is open to MA Playwriting and MA Creative Writing students.

The Wunderkammer 'Flash Write' workshop is at 1pm on Sunday 25 February at Firstsite, Colchester.