My Vision for the
Inspiring Histories Project
Welcome to Inspiring Histories. This project is rooted in my commitment to widening access to high-quality creative writing opportunities and amplifying underrepresented voices within our communities.
Through Inspiring Histories, I will work in partnership with three social housing groups over a six-month period, delivering twelve weeks of weekly life-writing workshops, alongside two individual one-to-one support sessions for each participant.
The project will provide a safe, supportive and familiar environment in which participants can develop their writing skills, build confidence, and explore their personal histories through structured creative practice. By removing barriers to participation and working within trusted community settings, the project seeks to ensure meaningful cultural engagement for those who may not otherwise access such opportunities.
While a broad framework will guide the programme, the workshops will be responsive and participant-led. Each group’s interests, experiences and needs will shape the direction of the sessions, ensuring an inclusive, co-created process that reflects the diversity of lived experience within each community.
Session 01
Welcome
What Is Life Writing? Project Overview
Meeting each other & agreeing how we work together
Simple introductions, reassurance, group kindness rules, no pressure to share.
Session 02
Writing from Memory
Small Memories, Big Stories
Everyday moments, first memories.
Short writing bursts, no long pieces, optional sharing.
Session 03
Places That Shaped Us
Homes, Streets, and Journeys
Writing about places that feel important or unforgettable. Homes, neighbourhoods, and journeys.
Simple prompts, sensory words, talking before writing.
Session 04
Writing from Photographs
Story Behind the Picture
Photos as memory triggers, what’s outside the frame, who’s missing
Photos as memory helpers, describing what we see.
Session 05
Writing from Music
Songs That Take Us Back
Music and Memory
Songs That Bring Back the Past. Listening, discussion, then short writing)(Music, emotion, time periods, dancing, listening, mood.
Session 06
Objects and Treasured Things The Stories Our Belongings Carry
Things That Hold Our Stories
Handling objects, describing them, memories attached important objects, keepsakes, clothing, tools, letters.
Session 07
One-to-One Support
Individual Writing Support and Confidence-Building
Personal guidance, help getting started, gentle feedback.Personal help, scribing if needed, encouragement.
Session 08
People in Our Lives
Portraits of Family, Friends, and Influences
Writing about loved ones, mentors, friendships, and complicated relationships. People We Remember
Family, Friends, and Important People. Focused on single moments rather than full life stories.
Session 09
Turning Points
Moments That Changed Everything
Big or small events that shifted direction, perspective, or identity .Moments That Changed Us. Important Turning Points
Choice of big or small moments, emotional safety.
Session 10
The Top Five
The Five Best Moments of My Life
Joy, pride, love, achievement, survival. My Top Five Moments
The Best Moments of My Life
(Can be listed, spoken, or written , no pressure.
Session 11
Finding Your Voice
Writing as Yourself
(Tone, honesty, humour, dialect, and permission to sound like you.. Writing in Your Own Voice. Sounding Like Yourself on the Page. Permission to use everyday language, humour, or dialect.
Session 12
One-to-One Support Sessions
Developing and Shaping a Chosen Piece
Preparing for editing and sharing, building confidence. Choosing and Shaping a Piece to Share. Extra support, confidence-building.
Session 13
Editing with Care
Polishing Without Losing Your Voice
Simple editing, clarity, structure, keeping it gentle and encouraging. Making Writing Clear Without Changing the Story
(Reading aloud, simple changes
Session 14
Sharing Our Stories
Reading Aloud, Public Speaking, and Celebration
Confidence in reading work aloud, listening, celebrating achievements . Reading Aloud, Listening, and Celebrating
(Optional reading, supportive audience, ending on pride.
Inspiring Histories Writing Anthology
Each participant will select a piece of writing to be developed for inclusion in a professionally produced life-writing anthology. Through structured editorial support and one-to-one guidance, participants will refine their work, developing their confidence, technical skills and authorial voice. Practical support — including typing and formatting where required — will ensure that access needs do not become barriers to participation.
The anthology will celebrate and platform the lived experiences of participants, creating a high-quality collective publication that reflects the diversity of voices within the project.
As a tangible and lasting legacy, the anthology will be distributed across the city’s libraries, ensuring public access and extending the project’s cultural impact beyond the workshop space. By sharing these stories within community settings, the project contributes to wider cultural participation and recognises the value of lived experience as part of the city’s creative landscape.
Writing Showcase
The project will culminate in a celebratory public writing showcase, where participants will share their work with family, friends and the wider local community. This event will provide a supportive platform for participants to present their voices publicly, building confidence, pride and a sense of creative achievement.
By situating the showcase within a community setting, the project encourages wider cultural participation and demonstrates that high-quality creative work can emerge from and belong within local spaces. The event will not only celebrate the participants’ development over the course of the programme, but also aim to inspire others within the community to engage in creative writing.
The showcase marks both a culmination and a point of progression, supporting participants to continue developing their skills and sustaining their creative practice beyond the life of the project.
