{"product_id":"going-places","title":"A Year of Going Places: Expressions of Creativity","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA Year of Going Places \u003c\/em\u003eis \u003cstrong\u003ea year of writing\u003c\/strong\u003e inspired by art, literature and music. Across three seasons, we'll encounter artists and artworks, novels and music that offer \u003cstrong\u003eunexpected ways into our own writing\u003c\/strong\u003e. We'll engage deeply with the creative work of other writers and artists to open up new stories and take us to places in our own writing we may not otherwise have gone. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWriting will always be the focus\u003c\/strong\u003e: experimenting, following your curiosity, and discovering what happens when you let other art forms lead the way. You can take part in the live sessions or follow the prompts in your own time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe three seasons are devised so that you can join for one part, or commit to the whole year. Either way, \u003cstrong\u003ethe emphasis is on creativity\u003c\/strong\u003e, on creating work you can return to, and develop a rhythm to sustain you alongside everything else in your writing practice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: rgb(234, 242, 195);\"\u003e*NEW*\u003c\/span\u003e please scroll down to see more about the Prompts Only Option.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(115, 88, 17);\"\u003eThe workshops are open to writers everywhere, all levels, all genres. All you'll need is a willingness to create, explore, and be open to the surprises in your work. Although the workshops are held in English, you're welcome to write and share work in any language.  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: rgb(234, 242, 195); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePart 1, ART (24 January – 4 April 2027, fortnightly)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(10, 129, 189);\"\u003e\"You can’t sit around and wait for somebody to say who you are. You need to write it and paint it and do it.\" Faith Ringgold\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat happens when we let art lead us somewhere new in our writing? In Part I of A Year of Going Places, we'll encounter six artists from different parts of the world, each with a distinctive way of seeing and making. From Belkis Ayón's mysterious black-and-white prints to Hilma af Klint's fluid forms, from Frédéric Bruly Bouabré's visual archives to Aurèlia Muñoz's intricate structures, María Berrío's layered fragments and Jean-Michel Basquiat's collision of words and images, we'll find fresh inspiration for our own writing. Art will be the starting point, writing will be our terrain!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(32, 127, 11);\"\u003e“Every morning when I wake up, I experience an exquisite joy, the joy of being Salvador Dalí, and I ask myself in rapture: What wonderful things is this Salvador Dalí going to accomplish today?” Salvador Dalí \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeek 1: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/malba.org.ar\/en\/evento\/belkis-ayon-mito-y-desobediencia\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBelkis Ayón\u003c\/a\u003e, MALBA, Buenos Aires\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eAyón's intricate black-and-white prints draw on Afro-Cuban mythology. In our writing, we'll explore our own personal and cultural mythologies, and see look at how a restricted language can generate a rich and singular world. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeek 2: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/nationalgallery.ticketsolve.com\/ticketbooth\/shows\/873665621\/events\/128658214\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eHilma af Klint\u003c\/a\u003e, National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eAf Klint used colour, shape and fluid forms to explore spirituality, nature and the invisible forces that shape the world. We'll explore ways that writing can give form to things we sense but cannot quite explain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeek 3: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.diaart.org\/exhibition\/exhibitions-projects\/frederic-bruly-bouabre-exhibition\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eFrédéric Bruly Bouabré\u003c\/a\u003e, Dia Art Foundation, New York. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eBouabré created an extraordinary visual archive of the world around him, combining handwritten text, drawings, symbols and observations of everyday life. We'll explore the possibilities of collecting, recording and transforming small details into a personal system of images and stories.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeek 4: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.macba.cat\/en\/exhibitions\/aurelia-munoz-beings\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAurèlia Muñoz\u003c\/a\u003e, MACBA, Barcelona\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMuñoz transformed textile and handmade paper into intricate structures that move between drawing and sculpture. In our own writing, we’ll weave together different elements, such as fiction, memory, and found text, to create a layered and surprising narrative.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeek 5: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sjmusart.org\/exhibition\/maria-berrio-songlines\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMaría Berrío\u003c\/a\u003e, San José Museum of Art, California\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eBerrío assembles fragments of coloured paper into richly layered scenes shaped by mythology, memory and migration. We'll make stories out of fragments, and continue our exploration of using disparate pieces to write stories that are unpredictable even to ourselves.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeek 6: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/high.org\/exhibition\/basquiat\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJean-Michel Basquiat\u003c\/a\u003e, High Museum of Art, Atlanta\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eBasquiat’s work challenges the boundary between writing and image, inviting us to think about words as visual objects in their own right. We’ll experiment with repetition, interruption and the expressive possibilities of language on the page. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(10, 129, 189);\"\u003e\"Resistance and change often begin in art, and very often in our art, the art of words.\" Ursula K. Le Guin\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLimited to 15 participants \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDates and Times: \u003c\/strong\u003eSundays, 6–8pm CET (\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/time.is\/1800_24_January_2027_in_Madrid\/Edinburgh\/New_York\/Chicago\/Los_Angeles\/Hong_Kong\/Sydney\/Istanbul\/Berlin?A_Year_of_Going_Places\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eclick for corresponding times\u003c\/a\u003e)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePart 1 \u003c\/strong\u003eJan 24, Feb 7 and 21, March 7 and 21, April 4. Total: 6 sessions\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCost \u003c\/strong\u003ePart 1: €230 (see below for parts 2 and 3)\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);\"\u003e︶︶︶︶\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: rgb(234, 242, 195);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePart 2, LITERATURE (May – July, fortnightly)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(13, 87, 125);\"\u003e“By reading the writings of the most interesting minds in history, we meditate with our own minds and theirs as well. This to me is a miracle.\" Kurt Vonnegut\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhat makes a place come alive on the page? How do we transform the places we inhabit, remember, imagine, or dream about? In Part 2 of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA Year of Going Places\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, we'll read six short novels: Don DeLillo's \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePoint Omega\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, Carole Maso's \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe American Woman in the Chinese Hat\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, Hussein Barghouthi's \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Blue Light\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, Mario Benedetti's \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Truce\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, Jacqueline Woodson's \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnother Brooklyn\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, and Samantha Harvey's \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOrbital\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWe'll explore how writers play with time, perspective, memory and place, using these books as springboards for our own writing. Expect a few experiments and some unexpected detours from your regular subject matter.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeek 1: Don DeLillo's \u003cem\u003ePoint Omega\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhat happens when we write in slow motion? We'll explore our relationship to a vast landscape, and experiment with writing that lingers on a moment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeek 2: Carole Maso's \u003cem\u003eThe American Woman in the Chinese Hat\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHow do we write a place that is both real and imagined, familiar and strange? We'll experiment with fragmented narratives, and look at the ways a place can become entangled in a character's, or our own, inner life.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeek 3: Hussein Barghouthi's\u003cem\u003e The Blue Light\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhat happens when the boundaries between reality, memory, and dreams begin to dissolve? We'll explore displacement and the experience of being an outsider, and experiment with losing the plot!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeek 4: Mario Benedetti's \u003cem\u003eThe Truce\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThrough diaries, routines, encounters and the small details of everyday life, we'll explore how a place shapes a person's inner world, and the drama of the unexpected interruption.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeek 5: Jacqueline Woodson's \u003cem\u003eAnother Brooklyn\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHow do we write about a place that survives mainly in memory? We'll draw from childhood, friendships, belonging and loss, and experiment with fragments, shifting perspectives and the sensory details that bring a place to life.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeek 6: Samantha Harvey's \u003cem\u003eOrbital\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe'll explore scale, distance, and repetition, and experiment with moving between the intimate and the immense. We'll also look at creative ways to use research in our writing practice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(13, 87, 125);\"\u003e\"For all I know, writing comes out of a superior devotion to reading.\" Eudora Welty\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLimited to 15 participants \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDates and Times: \u003c\/strong\u003eSundays, 6–8pm CET (\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/time.is\/1800_17_May_2026_in_Madrid\/Edinburgh\/New_York\/Chicago\/Los_Angeles\/Hong_Kong\/Sydney\/Istanbul\/Berlin?A_Year_of_Gentle_Making\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/time.is\/1800_9_May_2027_in_Madrid\/Edinburgh\/New_York\/Chicago\/Los_Angeles\/Hong_Kong\/Sydney\/Istanbul\/Berlin?A_Year_of_Going_Places\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eclick for corresponding times\u003c\/a\u003e)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePart 2 \u003c\/strong\u003eMay 9 and 23, June 6 an 20, July 4 and 18. Total: 6 sessions\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCost \u003c\/strong\u003ePart 2: €230 (see below for part 3)\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);\"\u003e︶︶︶︶\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: rgb(234, 242, 195); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePart 3, MUSIC (September – December, fortnightly)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(10, 129, 189);\"\u003e\"I am so thirsty for the marvelous that only the marvelous has power over me. Anything I can not transform into something marvelous, I let go. Reality doesn't impress me. I only believe in intoxication, in ecstasy, and when ordinary life shackles me, I escape, one way or another.\" Anaïs Nin\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat can music spark in our writing? In Part 3 of A Year of Going Places, we'll explore songs that take us back to places and people, experiment with the rhythms of the body, and look at the ways repetition and echoes can create meaning in writing. We'll turn to music we dislike, asking what our resistance might reveal, before exploring the voice as an instrument and discovering how sound, cadence and tone bring writing to life. No musical knowledge needed, just a willingness to listen, experiment and play. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeek 1: The Soundtrack of a Life\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMusic takes us back. A song can return us to a particular time, place, person or version of ourselves. We'll explore music as a form of memory, and the ways sound can unlock stories we may have forgotten.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeek 2: The Instrument\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe'll explore rhythm, gesture and the physicality of making music, including the everyday music of tapping, clapping, drumming and whistling. We’ll experiment with the sound-making body and what writing can learn from it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeek 3: On Repeat\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA song on a loop, a recurring melody. Music uses repetition to create rhythm, expectation, pleasure and sometimes irritation. We'll explore writing as composing, and look at the impact of repeating words, phrases, images or scenes in a narrative.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeek 4: I Can't Listen to That\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe all have music we avoid, music that irritates or baffles us. We'll explore our reactions to music we dislike and see what those responses might reveal about writing against the grain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeek 5: The Voice\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe voice is an instrument. Singing, speaking, chanting, whispering: each has its own rhythms, textures and expressive possibilities. Through writing, we'll explore the music of a narrative voice, and consider how sound, cadence and tone can shape the voices we create on the page.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeek 6: Listen to This\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor our final session, we'll each bring a song we love. We'll listen together and write in response, allowing the music to take our writing wherever it wants to go. A shared listening experience and a celebration of the year's explorations. It’ll be a chance to discover where music might lead our writing next.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #ac4141;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003eLimited to 15 participants \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDates and Times: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLimited to 15 participants \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDates and Times: \u003c\/strong\u003eSundays, 6–8pm CET (\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/time.is\/1800_17_May_2026_in_Madrid\/Edinburgh\/New_York\/Chicago\/Los_Angeles\/Hong_Kong\/Sydney\/Istanbul\/Berlin?A_Year_of_Gentle_Making\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/time.is\/1800_26_September_2027_in_Madrid\/Edinburgh\/New_York\/Chicago\/Los_Angeles\/Hong_Kong\/Sydney\/Istanbul\/Berlin?A_Year_of_Going_Places\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eclick for corresponding times\u003c\/a\u003e)\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePart 3\u003c\/strong\u003e Sep 26, Oct 10 and 24, Nov 7 and 21, Dec 5. Total: 6 sessions\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCost Part 3: \u003c\/strong\u003e€230\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(10, 129, 189);\"\u003e\"If you ask me what I came to do in this world, I, an artist, will answer you: I am here to live out loud.\" Émile Zola\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);\"\u003e︶︶︶︶\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOnly the Prompts\u003c\/strong\u003e is for anyone who wants to keep writing, follow their curiosity and work independently, without the commitment of live sessions. It follows the same structure as the live course, moving through three seasons of writing inspired by art, literature and music.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery two weeks, you'll receive a short video introducing the material and a set of writing prompts. You might explore personal mythology in response to an artist's prints, experiment with the ways a novelist slows down time, or discover how a song can unlock a forgotten memory. Each encounter offers a different way into your own writing, thematically and stylistically.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are no deadlines to meet and no pressure to keep pace. The prompts and materials will remain available throughout the year, so you can work at your own rhythm, return to things that interest you, or follow a thread wherever it leads.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe focus is always on your writing. The art, books and music are just the starting points!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCost, Only the Prompts: \u003c\/strong\u003e€350\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);\"\u003e︶︶︶︶\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAbout the tutor: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/shaunlevin.com\/\" title=\"Shaun Levin\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eShaun Levin\u003c\/a\u003e is the author of \u003cem\u003eSeven Sweet Things\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eAlone with a Man in a Room\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eSnapshots of The Boy\u003c\/em\u003e. Around 2012, he began making illustrated work, exhibiting at the New York Art Book Fair and the London Art Book Fair, amongst others. His recent artists' books are held in the special collections of Harvard Library, the University of Delaware Library, and the Universities of California at Irvine and Santa Barbara.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBorn in South Africa, he has lived in Israel, London, and now Madrid. He is the creator of Writing Maps and has taught creative writing for thirty years. Across text and image, his work treats the book as a site of encounter: a space where inherited narratives can be questioned, reimagined, and gently repurposed.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Write Around Town","offers":[{"title":"Part 1","offer_id":58839374790991,"sku":null,"price":230.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"Part 2","offer_id":58839374823759,"sku":null,"price":230.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"Part 3","offer_id":58839374856527,"sku":null,"price":230.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"Parts 1, 2 \u0026 3","offer_id":58839374889295,"sku":null,"price":650.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"Early Bird 1, 2 \u0026 3","offer_id":59141225283919,"sku":null,"price":610.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"Prompts Only","offer_id":59141236064591,"sku":null,"price":350.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0215\/6138\/files\/AYearofGoingPlaces.jpg?v=1792224607","url":"https:\/\/www.writingmaps.com\/products\/going-places","provider":"Writing Maps: Creative Writing Prompts and Ideas for Stories","version":"1.0","type":"link"}