Thorunn Bacon

Another great course has finished, and as always I’m amazed at the quality of the work the participants produce.

Some of the group had never written anything before, some had written when they were youngsters but nothing until now when they had retired.  There were also some participants from previous courses which is lovely for me and must mean that they enjoyed the previous courses.

I called this course Memory, Place, Belonging, as I’m interested in how we see ourselves in our environment, how we feel connected to the place where we live, or not. I wanted the participants to explore where they had come from and how they had ended up where they did.  So few of us live where we were born, but to live happily, I believe it helps if we have an emotional connection to the place where we live, and I wanted the participants to think about those connections.

We explores some of the history of Wivenhoe, where the course was held and where some of us live, and discovered hidden stories and quirks that bring the past to life.  The participants enjoyed all those activities and I believe they left the course feeling more connected,  and certainly more interested in their own physical journey  through life.   We used photographs a lot which is something I always do, and people find very interesting and fun.

I found that they were particularly interested in their own past and that of their ancestors, and I think there may be a whole new course in there somewhere!  Creative writing genealogy perhaps!