Fwd:[NativeVue] Mother's Writing Workshop:)

May be of interest for all you aspiring writers!!

Joanne Arnott, for the Mothers Writing Workshop Advisory Group

MOTHER'S JOURNEY: "The time between conception and the first breath"
MARIA CAMPEBELL, Master Class: call for grandmothers and mothers, who are also established and/or emerging writers

Maria Campbell, Metis mother and grandmother, will lead eight to ten
established and/or emerging indigenous women artists in a week-long intensive writing retreat, to take place on the west coast in May,
2007.   Maria Campbell's breakthrough book, HALFBREED (1973) has been followed by significant work in theatre and film, as well as books for children and for adults, including the beautiful and satisfying
collection from Metis oral traditions, STORIES OF THE ROAD ALLOWANCE PEOPLE (1995).  A long-time activist for women's and Aboriginal people's rights, a mentor and teacher to many, Maria Campbell is a Distinguished Canadian who has received many honours and awards from aboriginal, academic, and arts communities.  Four of her books have been translated into four languages and published in eight countries, and two of her plays have also toured internationally.

The Mothers Writing Workshop will gather diverse aboriginal mothers and grandmothers, who already have some artistic practice in place, to focus on writing our experiences of pregnancy, childbirth, and mothering.  Beginning our work immersed in oral tradition and storytelling, we will turn our focus to writing our lives as mothers. In order to maintain our ceremonial space and internal focus of energies, use of telephones and internet-access during our time together are discouraged, and childcare should be arranged separate from the workshop environment.

The Mothers Writing Workshop will be held in B.C. (location and venue to be confirmed).  Writers will have the option of submitting work generated from this workshop for inclusion in a future anthology. Participants will also be invited to take part in associated public readings and events, scheduled before and after the intensive writing retreat.  Travel and accommodation will be provided. Participants are encouraged to travel light: pencil and paper required.  Rain gear is recommended.

Women interested in participating are invited to submit applications
by October 30, 2006.  There is no application form.  Please write a
cover letter expressing your interest in this workshop, how it may be
of benefit to you in your ongoing artistic development, and submit
this along with a brief author bio, c.v. (curriculum vitae),
publications list, and a brief sample of your writing (any genre,
published or unpublished). Please note whether financial assistance
for childcare will be required at the time of application, or as early
as possible; although we will make every effort to assist, provision
of childcare funds cannot be guaranteed.

Electronic submissions are encouraged:
<Joanne.Arnott+birth.stories@gmail.com>

Or mail submissions to:
Selection Committee, Mothers Writing Workshop,
110– 8700 General Currie Road
Richmond, B.C.
V6Y 1M2