Partnership courses are run on the same format as our regular Open Courses advertised in our annual brochure – two published writers tutor your group with a guest speaker who visits mid-week in a four-and-a-half day long residency at one of our countryside writing houses.

Like on the Open Courses, Partnership groups eat meals together and communally cook their evening meal in teams, with recipes and food supplied and organised by the Centre Directors. This is all part of the Arvon experience of living, writing, cooking and eating together. Breakfasts and lunches are self service, with food supplied by Centre Directors but everyone is expected to help clear up afterwards. 

But Partnerships are different from our Brochure courses because the content is designed to meet the specific needs and interests of you, our partner groups, and because the course costs are heavily subsidised  by The Arvon Foundation and The Arts Council to encourage like-minded partner organisations to participate in Arvon’s programme. 

We work with you closely to tailor-make a five day course for the people you want to bring together, and to meet your aims for the week. Whether you are interested in exploring new ideas for drama, songwriting or life writing; are keen to put together an anthology, journal or a book; want to workshop writing for a performance of new theatre or performance poetry; or create  a radio, film or television play; or want to develop new talent and ideas through the written word, we will work with you collaboratively, suggesting tutors and working with you to get the content  of  your course just right for your needs and meet the outcomes you wish to achieve. 

If you are interested in bringing a group to Arvon in Partnership in 2008/9 and beyond, please contact Kerry Watson, Lead Programmer for Partnerships, k.watson@arvonfoundation.org or ring her on 01588640658.