Hello, I’m Ella! I’m a MA creative writing student at the University of Liverpool on placement at the Windows Project. During my time at the Windows Project, I have undertaken a range of tasks – both creative and vocational – each one of which has been more enjoyable than the last!
In first coming to Windows, I was immediately met with an abundance of support and involvement from staff. Having come from an intense academic setting, the intimacy and community feel at Windows was a very welcomed change, one that has been amazing in helping me shift out my committed academic mindset and instead set my sights on the future. From my first meeting with Dave Ward, co-founder and coordinator, and Aditi Shah, administrator, I was immediately inspired and began writing submissions for local magazines, researching into local areas and events and trying my hand in unfamiliar forms.
The Windows Project office is piled high with books, poetry and prose alike, old and new. These books charge the space with creative influence, even without needing to be read! The building neighbours some incredible institutions, including the World Museum and Walker Art Gallery, which I visited for research and creative stimulus and learnt that I actually really like art! There are still so many places that I’d like to visit over the span of my placement and discover what work they provoke, like the Central Library and the Lady Lever Art Gallery. Dave is excellent in utilising his space and although I’m provided with as much freedom as I could ever need, his suggestions for places to visit and areas of the building to use as inspiration are endlessly useful!
Beyond fulfilling my identity as a writer, Windows has also encouraged me to consider employability from an angle that wasn’t open to me as a student. I was invited to sit in on a management meeting where the inner workings of the charity were revealed. The atmosphere of the meeting was incredibly warm, and it was a privilege to sit in a room with such dedicated and hard-working people, all of whom welcomed me as if I was a regular. The meeting prompted me to start thinking about how my knowledge and skills can contribute to a working environment, allowing me to explore my identity beyond that of a student. Similarly, I attended an interview which Aditi was conducting with writer Bene Sebuyange, to be posted on Window Project’s website. Bene is a stunning creative whose love for her craft was palpable. Another great benefit of Windows is the opportunity to connect with other writers. I’ve learnt that nothing feeds my love for writing as much as seeing the passion of others. Every writer that I have had the pleasure of meeting during my time at Windows has unknowingly fed into my aspirations, and this was the main takeaway from Bene’s interview: writers love to be inspired and in turn, inspire others. Windows has become a place where I can nurture my craft, a place where I can share my work outside of an academic environment and receive invaluable feedback and encouragement.
Of course, the Windows Project’s mission can’t be overlooked: to introduce marginalised groups to the power of language. The importance of this can’t be stressed enough. Window’s mission prompted me to think about my first experiences with writing, all of which occurred in the classroom. I began to research the relationship between writing and children and found that the classroom can be a restrictive space for a task as creative as writing. There are guidelines to follow, peers to compete with and grades to achieve. These guidelines are killers of creativity. The creative spaces that Windows provides through their workshops are invaluable and this is a realisation that really resonated with me. As such, I am now in the process of organizing my own creative writing workshops at home on the Isle of Man where such opportunities are lacking. These workshops will offer an informal space for people to share their writing and get constructive feedback. I hope that they will lend a creative hand to students from local schools and offer a reprieve from the, at times, uncomfortable atmosphere of the classroom. I’m so excited to get started!
Words by Ella Millar, Student Placement at The Windows Project