Monday 26 December 2011

New Creative Writing Courses

At Diwan, Heliopolis
Creative Writing Course
by Linda Cleary


The Creative Writing course will act as an extended masterclass looking at various techniques and exercises to open up and improve writing skills.
We will work with metaphor and imagery, create texts and narratives to given themes and word counts, as well as free writing.
There is no criteria other than a willingness to open up one's writing; the course is designed that people of varying writing experience can participate and each draw their individual benefits.


4 weeks (8 hour course)
One session per week (2 hour session) on Mondays
Starting 16th January
from 7:30 pm till 9:30 pm
at Diwan Heliopolis

Price: 480 L.E
Limited number-please register at any Diwan store in advance
Age group: for adults (17 yrs +)


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At Darb 1718, Old Cairo

Creative Writing & Short Story Course

Darb 1718 for Contemporary Arts is organizing a 'Creative Writing & Short Story' Workshop operated by Linda Cleary and starting from 7.30pm Sunday 8th January 2012

Course Description
This course uses various master class techniques and exercises to open up and improve writing skills, work with metaphor and imagery, create texts and narratives to given themes and word counts as well as free writing. The latter sessions focus on work on character, voice, atmosphere and plot and we read published short stories for discussion and understanding format and focusing on the necessary elements for each student to produce a final draft of a 1000 word narrative.
There is no criteria other than a willingness to open up one's writing; the course is designed that people of varying writing experience can participate and each draw their individual benefits.
Workshop targets
Improves, consolidates and opens creative writing and writing a short story through various masterclass exercises, specific techniques and discussion
Terms of submission
Places limited to 12 people
Duration: 8 sessions of 2 hours each
Start date: 7.30pm Sunday 8th of January 2012
End date: Sunday 26th of Feb 2012
Fee: 1000 LE
For Registration
*registration must be accompanied with a 50% deposit to secure your place


Please call the mobile number 01117409697

Friday 9 December 2011

The Month of the Archer

Helllllloooooooo!!!!

Yes, another long dip out from blogging, what can I say dear readers.. other than the truth - Life takes hold!!! :)

Soooo... OK OK OK since last writing to you all the dancer Leena Vaswani stayed, danced, glittered and then left for India some weeks ago, Florin Dan a Romanian poet came to stay (links on side) and we will hopefully engage in an exchange project next year. Two veritable and interesting artists; Ronnie Close and Yvonne Buchheim (links on side) visited ARC and were introduced to several writers and artists - Ronnie will be coming back to live in Cairo in a month's time and take up a cool job as Professor of Photography at AUC (we bow down..) :)) and Yvonne will do lots of groovy things here - watch this space. And next Wednesday Leena Chauhan will come for a month's residency and work on a project. Looking forward*** ;))

I finished a load of courses, am now starting new ones up and will also be managing workshops, events and arts initiatives with Darb 1718. I also started wearing day-glo nail varnish, went to Wadi Hitan (Whale Valley) and after a huge stint of Russian literature followed by Camus I decided to come into the decade with Irvine Welsh. I also got a lovely blue bag ;))

My new courses are, first one first - starting Saturday 10th December (tomorrow!):

Creative Writing Course

The Creative Writing course will act as an extended masterclass looking at various techniques and exercises to open up and improve writing skills.
We will work with metaphor and imagery, create texts and narratives to given themes and word counts, as well as free writing.
There is no criteria other than a willingness to open up one's writing; the course is designed that people of varying writing experience can participate and each draw their individual benefits.

4 weeks (8 hour course)
One session per week (2 hour session) on Saturdays
Starting 10th December
from 7:30 pm till 9:30 pm
at Diwan Heliopolis

Price: 480 L.E
Limited number-please register in advance at any Diwan store
Age group: for adults (17 yrs +)

Thursday 3 November 2011

Hello Again & The 4th Floor Project!!!

Hello All!

Yes, it has been a long time but that's the Cairo bubble that sometimes happens!

So I am back (not that I went away) and I have moved again, now in another spacious and lovely new abode which you can read about on the page link All About ARC & Your Stay at ArtHome at top of this one or follow this:

http://artsresidencycairo.blogspot.com/p/all-about-arc.html

So - new news.. well I moved house again, I've been giving 5 writing courses a week, Leena the Indian dancer came back to stay, I've been exploring expansion opportunities and various art initiatives, Up On the Roof has continued to shine - what else... well, that's quite a lot! :))

And now I am up horrendously early as I am excited about my new project The 4th Floor.

The 4th Floor is the latest art space and residential available via ARC. Situated in a classic featured original building opposite The Egyptian Museum, Downtown Cairo - The 4th Floor comprises of a large 3 bed room with balcony, high ceilings and wooden flooring and its own conservatory style studio/workspace adjacent to the room with a bank of windows allowing a flood of light and a downtown view into the studio. Shared bathroom and kitchen facilities. The cost of staying at The 4th Floor is 70 LE per person per night or 200 LE for the private use. The cost includes the studio use and free wireless.

So!!!! Book in and be in the downtown groove!

*ARC continues to accept guests at ArtHome as usual.

Sunday 10 July 2011

Creative Writing course in Alexandria!!!! Yalla!!

Sabah el foll ya Alexandrians!!!

For those of you living in Alex or visiting, I am running a 3 evening course in Creative Writing - 24th to 26th July at Diwan Alex.

Please see the link for all details and register via Diwan


http://www.diwanegypt.com/en/node/136937

Tuesday 24 May 2011

The Hothouse بيت الفن

Good afternoon, World! Sabah el eshta ya Donya!

Ahhhhhh the things on my list are never ending!!! I need a secretary, begad, really! Sooooo, the Hothouse is happening - a multi discipline artistic cooperative currently with a start base of about 20 artists and growing, like jungle flowers :)

We have had 2 meetings so far and already there are numerous projects beginning and a lot of networking happening - it is all exciting, wonderful and expansive.

The Hothouse will compliment the residency as it allows a total immersion (if desired) into the Cairo art scene. NOW is the time :)

Other than this; courses at Diwan, at Darb 1718, Up On the Roof Open Mic event, my own writing (!!) and developing the company with an Egyptian partner with outreach in Alex.

There are enquiries from a number of highly interesting artists looking at staying at ARC in July and then in September onwards, as August is taken up here with Ramadan - a time when the city more or less closes down, practically everyone is fasting and arts events are not available.

Soooo, come to ARC and be part of the flowering! :)

Saturday 7 May 2011

NEW NEW

All is well, all is busy!!!

New courses starting at Diwan Maadi (follow the links)and all enquiries and registration through Diwan:

Creative Writing course http://www.diwanegypt.com/en/node/132232

Short Story course http://www.diwanegypt.com/en/node/132256

Sunday 24 April 2011

I Am the Egg Man, I Am the Walrus

Hello World!

It's Egg Day for some - myself I don't celebrate anything other than birthdays and Life in general - but whatever turns you on (albeit non harmful to others) I hope you're having a groovy time ;)

So.. what of today? Well, it's a fresh and lovely day here in Cairo and I am trying to work my way through my list of tasks but keep avoiding the biggest one which is to create a new website for Creative Writing online; so that people can follow my tutorials from anywhere and have a forum to share ideas. Across the work table is Ismail who has just returned from Libya and is editing his photographs (war photojournalism) and I had one peppermint tea and one coffee so far and am now thinking about pasta and aubergine/pepper/tomato sauce.. yes you can see how productive things are today at ARC :))

BUT - actually things are happening - upcoming events are:

Up On The Roof - Open Stage Night at Darb 1718 May 5th 7.30pm
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=103173313102828

The Hothouse - a new multi discipline artistic initiative - a cooperative company (much more on this soon!)

New Creative Writing courses at Diwan and Darb 1718

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I didn't get the funding to go to Romania :( but I am thinking of either going to Siwa and hanging in the alchemy of the desert oasis or swimming with Dugongs in Sinai.. hmmmmmm..

Bye for now! Xs

Tuesday 5 April 2011

(Definite) Article

Tings are BUSY!!!! But here is an article on me and what's happening, out today!!!

http://www.thedailynewsegypt.com/art/linda-cleary-speaking-truth-in-poetry.html#

Monday 14 March 2011

Birthday Teas

Dear World

Well, well, well - there are many developments taking place here in Egypt (please read the personal ARC blog for details - link to the left) but we continue to be here and shine as we can.

It was a joy having Monika Nguyen stay for the week and now we are preparing for:

4 new creative writing courses starting next week at Diwan and Darb 1718
the next Up On the Roof open stage night on April 7th at Darb 1718 (the last one on March 3rd was a fabulous success and received a great review in one of the notable papers here)
working with several private students on novels
collaborating with film maker Marouan Omara and creating poetry films
a birthday tea with two octogenarian writers from Cornwall who will revisit Cairo sixty five years after they celebrated their 21st birthdays here!!!

I am also waiting to hear about funding for my trip to Romania in May for an International Poetry Festival - here's hoping!

Saturday 26 February 2011

New Resident Artist

Dear World

Well, ARC is currently listening to some Linton Kwesi Johnson and taking in that strong upright spirit as there are more fun and games with the post-revolution situation here and an ongoing massacre in Libya.

However.. creativity happens and we are looking forward to our next resident artist arriving in a few days; Monika Nguyen - a stage designer and artist from Austria working in the fields of spatial installation and photography.

More soon!!!

Sunday 13 February 2011

Revolution & Rabbits

Mabrook Masr!!!!! Aiwa, Masr Horreya!!!!!!

Congratulations Egypt, yes free Egypt!!!

And hello World :-)

Well here I am, still here in Cairo and watching the post Mubarak events unfold.

Friday night (after Mubarak was ousted by the military coup) was one of the most amazingly happy occasions of my life! I have never been amongst so much happiness. It was insane downtown due to the crowds and celebration but a remarkable event.

Well here I am, still here in Cairo and watching the events unfold. For more of a personal account of the revolution please go to my personal ARC page on:
http://arc-theroadtoithaca.blogspot.com/

So, we are awaking each day to a new Egypt; unfortunately the events here meant that several artists could not come; Madeleine Aleman and Florin Dan Prodan will hopefully join us later in the year. Florin has kindly invited me to the Borsec arts residency in the Carpathian Mountains in Romania to take part in their arts festival in May; so I shall be applying for funding and hopefully stepping foot in that amazing country.

Everyday life here seems to be returning to a reasonable normality; we can move around the city, curfew is greatly lifted and many venues are opening again. This means arts events can begin once more; my creative writing classes are now fully back on track and I will be staging the postponed open stage night 'Up On the Roof' soon at Darb 1718; Revolution Roof & Rabbits!!! :-))

Wednesday 26 January 2011

Talking Bout a Revolution

Dear World

Hopefully Egypt is on the point of change as huge numbers of people are marching for political and social freedom. Yesterday took maybe even Egyptians by surprise at the volume of protesters out there and it goes on, in spite of severe attacks by police and intimidation tactics. This is a country where 'worra el shams' /'behind the sun'has a sinister meaning; where there is still a list of 'the disappeared' growing. Listen to this audio clip by Jack Shenker, a journalist for the Guardian living here in Cairo and a friend of mine. It is chilling stuff.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/26/egypt-protests?intcmp=239

Thursday 6 January 2011

More New Residents at ARC

The novelist Sherry Jones and the classical composer Robert Spittal left early this morning after a stay of 12 days. We didn't see much of them in their time here as they were out and about so much but I held a literary salon for Sherry with a host of Egyptian writers and we also had a trip down to the Zar at MAKAN.

The next guests will be:

Zsofia Balogh - a dancer from Hungary
www.sayedastudio.blogspot.com

Christina Stjernholm Nygaard - a dancer from Norway
www.magedanserinne.no

Madeleine Aleman - an artist from Sweden
www.aleman.se

Monika Nguyen - a stage designer and artist from Austria working in the fields of spatial installation and photography.

Please also see links at the side of this page and stay tuned for further news!!!!