Appendix A: Adapting the work to the context : When I first started leading writing workshops, I had had no formal training as a teacher, mentor or workshop-leader. All I knew was – through having worked for years as actor, director and playwright – that there were certain useful underlying principles as to ‘how stories are made’, and that these

doi:10.4324/9780203334973-52

Chapter

Appendix A: Adapting the work to the context

ABSTRACT

When I first started leading writing workshops, I had had no formal training as a teacher, mentor or workshop-leader. All I knew was – through having worked for years as actor, director and playwright – that there were certain useful underlying principles as to ‘how stories are made’, and that these could be passed on. The problem I saw – which in the end was no problem – was that I was being asked to work in a range of contexts whose participants had varying expectations, backgrounds and life-experiences. Schools and colleges, community-groups, special-needs groups, Lesbian and Gay groups, Black and Asian groups, total newcomers and fledgling professionals; all of whom, I thought, would require totally different approaches and methodologies. I was also rather daunted by the knowledge that, in terms of work in schools, there was a large body of theory regarding ‘how children learn’, some of which I was slightly aware of, but most of which I was ignorant of.