Poetry in Purbeck
Spend a creative afternoon exploring stones and stories of Purbeck with Sarah Acton and Patrick Corbett. In a series of readings at our workshop based in the Burngate Centre, Isle of Purbeck, this session aims to share ideas and conversation, explore the landscape and write new work. Participants will get an appreciation of stone-working – quarrying, carving, modern and ancient.
The course fee covers this afternoon session only. The course will be followed by an evening with John Hegley at the nearby Square and Compass, for which donations will be welcome.
Purbeck landscape has inspired many writers and artists over the years – Kingsley, Hardy, Betjeman have captured Purbeck in prose and verse – whilst painters such as JMW Turner and Charles Rennie Mackintosh have painted the dramatic landscape.
Here at Burngate, we are promoting a wider appreciation of Purbeck Stone.
Square and Compass
John Hegley (by Suzi Corker)
What will I achieve?
Two sessions of poetic inspiration with a workshop to develop creative writing skills.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
Suitable for writers working at all levels.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
We will be working indoors, chatting and sharing reflections growing ideas, and generating new poetry, journalling and writing. A writing and sharing moment allows for reflection, feedback and meetings of mindscapes.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to prepare in advance or bring?
Bring pen and paper. Tea and coffee will be provided.
COST | £20 per adult £10 for students/children |
CAPACITY | Maximum 20 people |
DURATION | Three Hours (Fri PM) |
LEVEL | All levels from beginner to more advanced writers of poetry and prose |
SUITABLE FOR | Adults and young people aged 12+ |
Your Tutor
Sarah Acton
Poetry | Creative Writing
Sarah Acton is a landscape poet and performer, oral history and community theatre writer who runs arts programmes for social engagement and connection to nature and place. Sarah’s writing and teaching explore earth history, myth, folklore and sense of belonging to and of landscape, drawing on a passion for poetics and orality (the living voice, rhythms and dialect).
Sarah’s recent projects include the Heart of Stone community play on Portland for b-side festival, and the Talking Tent story-gathering project for Dorset AONB, alongside ongoing commissions for Stepping into Nature including Your Seasons of Story, collaborating with two visual artists and a storyteller, and many local communities. She has written for magazines and anthologies. Sarah’s oral history book about the seine fishing industry along the Chesil Beach is published later this year.
Patrick Corbett
Poetry | Creative Writing
Patrick Corbett is a retired Professor of Petroleum Geoengineering. He grew up in Purbeck and has been writing geoescience-themed poetry for five years. He is lead editor of the volume: Earth Lines: Geopoetry and Geopoetics published by Edinburgh Geological Society in 2021 https://www.edinburghgeolsoc.org/earth-lines/
Patrick will be visiting Burngate this year to co-lead Geopoetry Writing and Walking Weekend with Sarah Acton.
Website: geopoetrick.co.uk