We offer a variety of courses, with many different formats and practical differences, and want to ensure that each course meets your expectations in what it contains and how it works.
On each course page we have included a list of what to expect. Please find some further information below on what these words mean how these different courses function:
Content Focused – This type of course will be primarily driven by taught content and focus on inspirational reading, technical or thematic study, and generating new work, rather than workshopping and receiving feedback.
Workshop – These courses focus on workshopping poems-in-progress from all participants and provide you an opportunity to receive and give feedback. There are usually no assignments or taught content elements on these courses.
Short Course – Short courses are usually more generative and content focused, tending to include less opportunity for workshopping.
1-term Course – These courses run over the duration of a whole term, lasting around 10 weeks in total, with sessions taking place either weekly or fortnightly.
3-term Course –These courses run over the whole academic year, with sessions in all 3 terms, and are primarily workshop-based. Although it is encouraged to stick with one of these courses for a whole year, to receive the full benefits of the curriculum and a sustained focus on your work from the group, there is no obligation to attend all 3 terms should you wish to change to something else, and you can sign-up at any point in the year.
CAMPUS Group – Our Online courses run in a private Group on our website, where you will be able to access course materials, upload your poems, and interact with your tutor and peers. The area of our site where these Groups are located is called CAMPUS.
Advanced – These courses are designed for poets who are already experienced with creative writing education and are able to confidently edit, hone, discuss and critique their own and others’ poetry, as well as having a fluency with poetic terminology and language.
Intermediate – These courses are intended for poets who are starting to develop their voice, generate work independently, and grow in confidence. You will have some experience in writing and studying poetry, but you are looking to expand your skills and technique through close reading, inspirational writing assignments, and feedback.
Introductory – These courses are designed for poets who are at the start of their writing journey and will help you get to grips with the basics.
Asynchronous – Also known as our International Online courses; there are no “live” elements to these courses, meaning there is no requirement for participants to come together at any set times and they can be easily fitted around other commitments and accessed from anywhere in the world.
Synchronous – The sessions for these courses run at specific times and require “live” participation from the tutor and students all together; they will either take place over Zoom or In-Person and all times given will be in UK Time.
Feedback – You will be required to offer friendly and constructive comments on other students’ work, alongside receiving input on your own poems.
Seminars – These are intimate workshop groups, with no more than 8 students, than run Synchronously either In-Person or via Zoom. There are no writing assignments on these courses and the focus is purely on workshopping students’ existing poems-in-progress and developing a close-knit critical community of poets.
We offer three different course formats: Online, Video (Zoom), and In-Person. If you’d like to learn more about how these work you can find some further information on the links below underneath the course listings:
If you are looking for something specific from one of our courses and you’re still not sure whether a course is right for you, please do contact us at [email protected] and we would be happy to help advise you.