A feast of writing courses in Falmouth this summer

Aspiring writers have some great opportunities to gain insight into many different aspects of the profession in Cornwall this summer, when an impressive array of novelists, scriptwriters, journalists and copywriters gather to teach on a series of summer schools at University College Falmouth (UCF) in July.

The Professional Writing summer school, which runs from 5 to 9 July, introduces key skills needed by writers across a range of forms, from telling strong stories and creating convincing characters to writing for business and developing ideas for feature articles and non-fiction books. Tutors giving master-classes during the week include the award-winning novelist, Tim Pears, high-profile features journalist, Oliver Bennett and prolific non-fiction author, Susy Marriott. 

Two other summer schools in the same week explore more specialised areas in greater depth. The Business Writing summer school is taught by Sarah McCartney, one of the UK's best-known copywriters, and looks at how to write fresh, compelling marketing copy and have fun doing so. Sarah's work with the natural cosmetics brand Lush is often held up as a great example of what inspired copywriting can achieve. She has also written for brands including Aviva, Skype and Cadbury, and runs writing workshops for many leading companies and charities.

The Writing Your Life Story Summer School is designed to help people who want to write about themselves, whether for publication, to gain insight into difficult experiences or simply through a need to make a creative record of their lives. As well as using exercises to trigger memory and inspire reflection, participants will consider story structure and look at how life writing can be used as a springboard into fiction and writing for broadcast. The course will be taught by Paul Dodgson, who has written and produced numerous plays and stories for BBC Radio 4, many based on personal experience. Paul has also worked as part of the Eastenders scriptwriting team and written drama documentaries for BBC, ITV and TV networks in the US.

From 12 to 16 July, the Screenwriting Story Workout for Writers and Developers is aimed both at people wishing to write for film and television and those who work with them to bring scripts to production. Through a mix of seminars, discussions, screenings and individual feedback, participants will explore key tools to engage with audiences and get their screenplays fighting fit for today's market. This course is taught by script consultant, Pippa Best and screenwriter and script editor, Jane Pugh, both of whom have extensive experience of writing, editing and producing successful screenplays for the film and TV industry.

These writing summer schools are organised by the team behind the MA Professional Writing course at UCF and follow the same approach towards focusing creativity on commercially viable forms. They build on the success of last year's short writing courses, about which one participant wrote: "I have nothing bad to say about this week - informative, encouraging, helpful and never a dull moment."

For more details or to book places on these courses, please visit www.falmouth.ac.uk or call Heidi James on 01326 370476.

University College Falmouth is the only independent Higher Education institution in Cornwall with the powers to award degrees in its own name.  It has two campuses in Cornwall - at Woodlane in Falmouth and Tremough in Penryn (which it owns, and jointly manages with the University of Exeter) - and a third campus at Totnes in Devon, following its merger with Dartington College of Arts in 2008.

This merger created a new institution focusing on the expansion of Falmouth's expertise in Art, Design and Media and Dartington's expertise in Choreography, Music, Theatre, Art and Writing.  The Devon-based courses will relocate to a new, high-specification Performance Centre at Tremough in 2010, paving the way for a new specialist Arts University in Cornwall by 2013/2014 that will be unique to the South West. 

The University College is a founding partner in the Combined Universities in Cornwall (CUC), a unique initiative to promote regional economic regeneration through Higher Education, funded mainly by the European Union (Objective One and Convergence), the South West Regional Development Agency, and the Higher Education Funding Council for England, with support from Cornwall Council.

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For further information about University College Falmouth, please contact Jilly Easterby Dip CIPR MCIPR, Head of Public Affairs, Telephone: 01326 213792, or email:  jilly.easterby@falmouth.ac.uk

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