Derbyshire Scriptwriters

Hello, we've put our old website and blog into one place - you can find us at  https://www.derbyshirescriptwriters.co.uk/  

It was a breath of fresh air in every way for members of Derbyshire Scriptwriters to finally meet for their Annual General meeting last weekend - our AGM met in the outside seating of Quad Cafe to catch up on what had been achieved in the last year, and discuss what we planned to do in the next. Despite the wind trying to snatch our agenda sheets for a better look, we just about managed to keep hold of our papers and bags, and got through an inspiring AGM filled with positive reports of publication, awards, and progress by our members in what's been a difficult time for creating new work.  The board for the new year was elected, with Chrissie and Andrew agreeing to work as joint Chairpersons, and Richard and Diana returning to their excellent work as Secretary and Treasurer respectively. A special thank you also goes to DSW member Maria, who treated the group with carrot cake to take home with us - delicious! We've all been living through extraordinary times since the start of...

Twenty six participants from Warwickshire joined Chrissie for an interactive talk about life story writing recently.  They enjoyed  time 'together', and were inspired to start capturing their own 'anecdotes' from memory after hearing extracts from some of the extra-ordinary things some of Chrissie's students had been writing about during lockdown and before. Chrissie will be looking forward to judging their future writing competition.    Chrissie has been working with a children from a local primary school delivering workshops to encourage pupils to remember then capture in words their 2020 experiences.  The resulting Soundscape was to form part of an Arts of Remembrance exhibition however it will now be added to a film instead. 

Great news from DSW member Richard, whose short story  Coming of Age in Fairy  will be featured in City Limits Publishing's latest collection,  Another Place, Another Time: A Collection of Short Stories   -congratulations, Richard!

Our final meeting of 2020 was over the internet again, with a great deal of discussion about the merits of outdoor performances alongside DSW member Johns ghostly tale in the park. And as a new, and hopefully brighter new year is around the corner , a number of DSW members have been awarded Bursaries and will be attending Quad courses in January 2021. Wishing you all a happy and safe Christmas and New Year!

  DSW continue to share writing opportunities and support each other during these difficult times.  Our November meeting happened via Zoom and members who were awarded a bursary towards the cost of Quad will be receiving cheques shortly.  The bursary was used to attend Alex Davies' excellent Ghost Writing session - and the group is looking forward to being able to work with local actors on a ghostly project in the future.  Two members enjoyed being part of a lively online reading group hosted by another DSW member.  Next month we will be meeting on line, and look forward to having a ghostly script to critique.    

Meeting in the sunshine was rather different from our usual meetings held in the Museum.  We enjoyed being able to discuss our different experiences of writing (or not writing) and responses to our lockdown experiences.   Several of us found it difficult to write initially, some 'recovered' their muse quicker than others, some confessed to a short writing frenzy, which then stopped -  feast or famine.  Some members have written and read more poetry, some members have been inspired to write about problems which have emerged due to the lockdown experience.   We enjoyed working together to critique two short scripts and wish RL every success with these pieces.  We look forward to a further meeting - outside in the sunshine.  Date to be confirmed.  

Derbyshire Scriptwriters have continued to support each other and critique scripts over recent difficult months.   Some DSW members will be meeting in a member's outdoor space, weather permitting, on Sunday 12th July to critique two short scripts and deal with a short business agenda and have a sociable catch-up.    Anyone interested in coming should contact the Secretary for details on email: secretary@derbyshirescriptwriters.com

Derbyshire Scriptwriters has had to postpone the monthly meetings and put our plans on hold due to the current Covid-19 Pandemic, but we're still here, still writing, and still supporting each other by exchanging information and opportunities and critiquing scripts.

Several lucky DSW members were awarded bursaries from DSW funds and enjoyed two recent workshops at Derby Quad - 'Directing and Performing' and 'Scriptwriting from Page to Performance'. The morning and the afternoon sessions  were  interesting, helpful and  well timed for DSW as members are looking forward to bringing their own short plays 'from page to performance' later this year. Local writer Tina Jay and Director Jack Brett Anderson were generous and helpful and inspirational. Jack will be Directing Tina's current play 'Syndrome' at the Tristam Bates Theatre in London in February and we thank them, and wish them every success with the play. Also thanks to Alex Davies at Quad for hosting these two excellent workshops. 

DSW Chair Chrissie Hall will be leading a residential course 'Creative Writing For Beginners' at Denman College, Oxford from 26th to 28th February.   For details go to www.lifestorywriting.co.uk and click on ' courses and events '.

Congratulations to DSW member Maria for the inclusion of her short story 'The Carpenter' in an anthology of work from a recent creative writing course for Good Mental Health and Wellbeing hosted by Chrissie Hall. Erewash Writers' Group received funding from the Small Grants Scheme (Erewash) to help the course happen- the anthology will be launched later this month.

'Banish Winter Solstice Blues'  with creative writing for well-being with Chrissie Hall, DSW Chair, at a residential course at Denman College Oxford from 28th to 30th October 2019.   For more information and bookings contact Chrissie@lifestorywriting.co.uk  or call Denman College on 01865 391991

Hello, some great news in before our October meeting on Sunday: Congratulations to DSW Member Richard Layton, his play 'The Philosopher's Stoned' has won NAWG's David Nobbs Memorial Trophy for comedy writing.  Great work, Richard!

Start Your Play in a Day DSW have been developing a number of exciting short play scripts which came out of the event we hosted at Derby Museum  a while ago. The scripts have been in development since then and have now been critiqued by the group and also been the focus of an intensive professional workshop 'from page to stage' day in collaboration with actors from www.Rumpustheatrecompany.co.uk .   Huge 'thank you' to them for a great experience.   We're now ready to move on with the project and will be collaborating with talented members of Ilkeston Theatre Company  ( http://www.ilkestontheatrecompany.co.uk/   to present an exciting programme of new writing in Erewash at a non arts venue  in 2020.  New Website for Derbyshire Scriptwriters Time for a refresh!  Thanks to James our webmeister for his expertise, time and patience in creating our new 'easy on the eye' website and we're loving our new contemporary ...

Happy New Year everyone! Derbyshire Scriptwriters started 2019 with our monthly meetup on the first Sunday of January in Derby Museum- as well as discussing two scripts in progress from DSW member John, we had some good news to share: Richard Layton’s play The Devil’s Bride has some additional tour dates on 20 th – 21 st March 2019 at Theatre Royal, Windsor, and 24 th – 25 th May 2019 at New Theatre Royal, Lincoln. Details are at www.rumpustheatrecompany.co.uk/future.htm John Briscoe is celebrating the publication of one of his short stories in his writing group's current anthology Chrissie Hall will be attending the anniversary party for The People’s Friend at publishers D.C. Thompson in Dundee, as well as leading a Residential Winter Writing Retreat on the 14th at Denman college ( http://www.lifestorywriting.co.uk/?p=692 ) She's also  running six creative writing sessions for Derbyshire CC at Ilkeston Library in January and February- for more information have a...

Some great news from DSW members as we head into November: Johnny Sheehan is working on a World War One themed play The Letter, which he hopes to present at the Buxton Fringe Festival in July 2019-   Chrissie Hall has been asked to lead a poetry residency at Derby College- Alan Dawson has just received a commission from Mansfield Palace-   And Richard Layton’s Pintsized Play from 2012 It’s All in the Mind was revived for 3 October performances by ‘Stage Frighteners’ at the Lord Nelson in Norton sub Hamdon, near Yeovil- Great work, everyone!

It's our summer break so there's no August meeting, but we'd like to wish DSW member Richard and Rumpus Theatre Company the very best with their autumn tour of 'The Devil's Bride' Adapted by Richard from Sheridan Le Fanu's classic Victorian Gothic horror story, Rumpus will be performing across the UK in October and November, with a Derby performance at the Guildhall Theatre on Wednesday 10 October. To keep up with the tour and all other things Rumpus Theatre, take a look at their page on Twitter here.

It's our final meeting before we take a break for the summer- we'll be talking about our member's scripts in progress and making plans for our meetings when we meet up in September- if you'd like to see what we do at one of our crit meetings, come along and say hello on the day, or email us in advance: joinus@derbyshirescriptwriters.com

Hello, we're back to our regular routine of working on our members scripts in progress this month after May's AGM- you're very welcome to join us and see what we're up to- come and say hello on the day, or get in touch by email: joinus@derbyshirescriptwriters.com