In December 2006 Clackmannanshire Council appointed Writers in Residence Tom Murray and Stuart Hepburn to work together to support new writing in the Wee County.

In December 2008 Stuart left for pastures new.  Tom became the sole Writer In Residence.

Below is a summary of projected, ongoing and recent projects.

 FUTURE PROJECTS - Tom Murray

Reachout With Arts In Mind-- a series of writing workshops July/August 2010.

Storytelling Festival-- Working with the Clackmannanshire Alliance and Alloa Library ,holding  children and adult events to coincide with the Story Telling Festival in October 2010.

ONGOING

Clax Youth Theatre. 

Tom has worked with the Youth Theatre since it started  in 2007. He wrote their first performed play 'Just Like Us' produced in 2008.  He has co written their current play 'Tangents,' which was premiered at the 2010 Clackswrite Writers Festival which he organised.  Clax Youth Theatre will perform it at this years Edinburgh International Fringe in August 2010.  

Date:  7th August. 

Times:  11am & 4pm.  

Venue: Out Of The Blue, 30-36 Dalmeny Street, Edinburgh, EH6 8RG    

Tickets £3.50 (available soon at www.outoftheblue.org.uk)  

Writers Workshops/Events.  

Workshops are held on all aspects of writing approximately once a month in Alloa Libary.  So far there have been over 30 workshops held or events  such as Flash Fiction; Radio Drama; Writing for the Stage; Screenwriting; Free verse; Ryhmed poetry and many more .

( The last workshop on Flash Fiction attracted 24 participants.) 

( There is now a mailing list of over 80 local writers who support these events.  This list grows with every event.)  

Please see Events (Event Calendar) for future worshops.

Writers' Groups (fortnightly)  

Menstrie and Tillicoultry.  (Both adult.)  Young Writers' Group (for ages 13-21)

Writers Surgery  

Weekly at Alloa Library (Wednesdays) .Individual consultation with local writers on any aspect of their writing.

Email Surgery     

Feedback and advice via email with local writers.

Art Shop               

Resident once a week (Tuesday) where he works with local groups and writers,  and collaborates with resident artists Bobbi Vetter and Kenny Bean.

RECENT.               

Clackswrite Writers Festivals

2008 and 2010-- Organised workshops and events.  Tom ran workshops himself as well as invited writers such as Alasdair Gray;  Janet Paisley; Stuart Kelly and Sally Evans.

Anthology  

'Unheard Voices'  published in 2008 with poems and stories from 23 local writers.   Available through local libraries.

Project Collaborations. 

Wrote  poem 'On The Opening of Clackmannanshire Bridge'  to celebrate bridge opening in 2008.   

Wrote text for sculpture,  produced by Glasgow School of Art,  and installed at Sunnyside Cemetery. 

 Worked with resident artist Kenny Bean to produce The Story Box.  A series of recordings of local writers reading their own stories and poems to individual videos.

Reachout With Arts In Mind. 

A series of workshops over several months culminating in poetry and prose that was published by Reachout in an anthology.   Also producing a script for a DVD project ' Hear Me.' which was subsequently produced. 

Local Community Groups 

Worked with children/parents and staff at Tullibody and Hillfoot Family Centres.  Included workshops/storytelling session/forming a writers group.

Worked with staff and members of Whin Resource Centre.  Formed a writers group which met weekly.

Series of workshops with staff and members of Alloa Centre.

Schools  

Talks on writing and workshops in numerous local primary and secondary schools.

Arts Academy 

Workshops on song writing, writing for comics amongst others as part of summer activities organised for local young people. Worked in partnership with CLD. 

Click here to find out more about current Writer in Residence Tom Murray

Click here to find out more about former Writer in Residence Stuart Hepburn