Creative Writing Lab
Creative Writing Lab
On Friday the 21st of October 2022, a group of 17 enthusiastic writers from Years 9 and 10 visited the Immigration Museum to participate in a Creative Writing Lab for high-achieving students.
We were presented with a range of prompts and free-writing activities, before exploring the “Becoming You” exhibition, to be inspired by the stories of others. This exhibit consisted of 5 compact galleries, sharing various experiences of people becoming the individuals that they are today. The stories touched on themes of time, culture, age, gender, orientation, age and distance. They also encouraged us to think about our own journeys of “becoming” ourselves.
After visiting the gallery we worked on another piece of writing, before sharing some of our work from the day.
All our students were exemplary representatives of our school, and they should be very proud of their participation and skills that were learnt on the day!
Danielle Winnacott
English Teacher
I just wanted to say thank you for giving me the opportunity to participate in the Creative Writing Lab!
It was definitely an enjoyable experience. We had explored an exhibition relating to the discovery of identity and the stories of growing up. Following that, we received prompts relating to the exhibition to freely write anything that comes to our mind on paper. Reading and hearing other people’s stories has given me a new insight into how everyone experiences life, and it makes me realise how unique each person’s story is. Everyone’s story deserves to be told.
Frances Uybarreta 9J
Prompt: Think back to everything you saw heard, touched, felt in the exhibition upstairs. Start with: Evening approached, and the building came alive with… (exact prompt was not used, but was used as inspiration)
Poem
When the last visitor left
when the doors closed
when the lights switched off
when the darkness fell
that was when
the building came alive.
Five rooms
each with a safe space
dedicated to every story
deserving to be heard.
It echoed throughout the walls
each one, a different voice
speaking out, one after another.
In a room of emerald green
with a table lamp, dimly lit
spoke stories of children
who grew up too quickly
stories of reckless teenagers
living their lives
stories of undeserved hardships
stories of adults
who want to
go back in time.
In a red room
the trauma of heroes
only being shared
if their story was gently picked up
to be properly heard.
A furry blanket engulfed the walls
alleviating the burdens endured
removing the pressure
soft to the touch
comforting all.
Throughout the pink room
with a double bed
to lay upon and
gaze up at the ceiling
to gaze up at the stories
that had reached the stars
and come back down
to lift the others up.
Even in the room
alive with colour
the ceiling covered in streamers
of orange, blue and purple
the diversity of each person
the diversity of each story
flourishing within these walls
a melody in the air.
In the last room
was a red carpet
rightfully paving the way
for the last five stories
expressed through intricate dances
and through sentimental talks
on self discovery
self worth
and self love
achieving an outcome
they are proud of.
But that outcome
is not their end
but merely a semicolon
for there are more chapters
of life to come
more obstacles in life to come
but they can always
overcome it again.
The walls were still alive
the whispering voices unable to cease
new stories arrive every week
from those willing to share their story
from those who push through everyday
to achieve the life they deserve
not with a period
but a semicolon.
What is your story?
Frances Uybarreta
Free-write prompt: If your name was an object, what would it be?
If my name was an object, it would be clay because with my clay I can shape it into anything I want it to be. It could be a disco ball to show my rambunctious personality or a pen to demonstrate my never ending flow of ideas. I could even shape my clay into many things at once. If my name was an object, it would be clay.
Josese Knight
Taylors Lakes Secondary College has a range of enrichment and extension programs that run at all year levels. For further information please contact Elizabeth Green, High Abilities and Instructional Practice Leader.