To ensure our writing courses remain a creative and positive space for everyone, we ask that all participants keep the following guidelines in mind...
Working with Others
W&A events and courses are designed to be interactive and practical in their nature, providing you with the opportunity to participate in writing exercises, to ask questions, and to offer your opinion on the work of others. But with great power comes great responsibility, and we’d like to remind all participants of the following.
Think before you speak
We are a diverse community of people from a diverse range of backgrounds. Many people have different levels of experience, knowledge, and feelings and all participants should respect and embrace this diversity. Please consider how your contribution to a group – either in discussion or in the form of any original writing that you share – may make others feel. Inclusivity is everything.
Courtesy to others
Your thoughts matter, but make sure everyone is given the opportunity to share theirs too. Don’t disturb the flow of the session, and show courtesy to both your fellow participants and the speaker by waiting until you’ve been asked to speak.
Be constructive
If a piece of writing doesn’t work for you then be specific… but please be mindful of the other person, and try to provide suggestions that will help – in your opinion – improve the work in question.
Stay safe
Make sure you are comfortable about the personal information you share with others during an event.
Keep the peace
Writers & Artists is not the place for personal attacks, aggressive comments, or language that can be interpreted as discriminatory (e.g. racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic or ableist). While we all don’t have to agree on everything, we should respect our diversity of opinions. We are a community of people with diverse beliefs, opinions and backgrounds, so please be respectful or you will be removed from the session you are attending.
Contact us
Please make us aware in advance of an event if you find certain subjects to be triggering so that we can inform relevant speakers or your course leader. Equally, if you either witness or are subjected to behaviour that contravenes any of the above, then contact us immediately and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can: writersandartists@bloomsbury.com
All W&A speakers and course leaders have been made aware of these guidelines and designed the content of their sessions with them in mind.
W&A Team