The Arts Office of Laois County Council is hosting a four-week memoir writing course with Eileen Casey at Laois Arthouse, Stradbally. The course runs for four Mondays in May; 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th from 11:00am to 1:00pm as part of the Bealtaine Festival.
Bealtaine is Ireland’s national festival which celebrates the arts and creativity as we age. Age & Opportunity Arts provides opportunities for older people to be more creative more often and to create meaningful participation.
Join Eileen Casey for a Memoir Writing: Writer as Archaeologist Workshop. ‘Digging’ memoir workshops are geared towards unearthing personal or family history treasures. Mining past lives helps to illuminate and revitalise our own precious life story. Each session will be facilitated in a relaxing, enjoyable and thought provoking way. The various types of memoir will be explored together with important memoir elements such as identifying timeline, bringing scenes and characters to life and how to avoid that familiar tyranny – too much information. Triggers and prompts throughout the duration of the course ensures that stories which might otherwise be lost in the mists of time, will breathe again.
Eileen Casey who is originally from the Midlands and is currently based in South Dublin. Her poetry, prose and short fiction are widely published in anthologies by Dedalus, Crannóg, New Island, Arlen House, Faber & Faber, The Nordic Irish Studies Journal, Ireland of the Welcomes, among others.
A Hennessy Award Winner (Emerging Fiction) and a Patrick and Katherine Kavanagh Poetry Fellowship recipient, memoir pieces are anthologised in ‘A Fascination with Fabric’ (Arlen House), The Irish Times, ‘Portrait of a County’ (New Island) and broadcast on Sunday Miscellany (RTÉ). ‘Black Ball Gown’ (memoir poem) featured as a short film by Paris based artists Cleary/Connolly.
She received a number of Arts Council Awards together with commissions from County Offaly Arts. She holds an M.A. (Creative Writing) from The Oscar Wilde Centre, The School of English, Trinity College, Dublin.
Booking Details:
Limited spaces booking is essential. Fees to be paid in advance. Fee: €5 per session or €15 for four sessions
Contact Laois County Council Cash Office – 05786 74308 for payment. Please quote: Bealtaine Memoir Writing workshop.
Cash Office Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 9.30am – 3.30pm.
Full Laois Bealtaine 2023 programme can be found here .
For further information: Email: artsoff@laoiscoco.ie or ring 057 868 9386