Lapidus Events

Ultreia! is a 6-week book writing intensive. It is for people who know what they want to write and seek guidance coming to the page.

Ultreia is a pilgrim word. It means ‘keep moving forward’. This program is modelled on the principles of pilgrimage. Show up, keep going!

Ultreia! offers guidance, encouragement and support to:
* imagine your book
* plan your book
* structure your book
* write your book.

Ultreia! is for anyone who wants to write:
* a memoir
* a professional handbook sharing your expertise
* your family or community history
* the wisdom you’ve learned through life’s experiences
* that novel you dreamed or never dreamed you could write.

Details:
* small group, live facilitator, 8 places only
* Tuesdays 18 February-25 March, 4pm UK/Ireland time
* £250. This program is being offered at a reduced price to celebrate me being in the northern hemisphere!

Ultreia! is facilitated by Dr Stephanie Dale, who has been running online writing programs since 2016. For more information, testimonials and a gallery of published writers who began their writing journey with this program, visit https://stephaniedale.com.au/

For bookings contact me directly via email.

We all believe in the capacity of expressive writing to help people heal, grow and change. But how do we connect our work to the people who could benefit from it? How do we define our target audiences, bring our services to their attention, and persuade them to sign up for our courses?

This online creative workshop on ‘Marketing with Soul’ for Lapidus London members and guests will offer some thought-provoking writing games and exercises to help stimulate your imagination and broaden and sharpen your marketing techniques and strategies, so you can reach more people with greater impact.

It will be led by Lapidus London’s co-coordinator, Jon Sayers, a former brand writer and advertising creative director. Jon has taught creative advertising workshops internationally, and is on the faculty of the Therapeutic Writing Institute for whom he teaches the annual marketing module.

Book early to avoid disappointment.

This playful three hour workshop will help you explore ways of writing creatively to enhance your well being. Focussing on writing for fun, relaxation and self care you’ll be responding to objects, images, memories and textures. Writer, facilitator and psychotherapist Sue Mayfield will help you observe, invent and imagine. Prior to the event you’ll receive a packet of materials by post. Across the morning there’ll be prompts, guided thinking, simple techniques and lots of space to write silently in the presence of like-minded others. You may prefer to keep what you write to yourself but if you’d like to share it, there’ll be opportunities to receive respectful listening and gentle feedback.

The workshop is suitable for both experienced writers and complete beginners.
The cost is £40 (or £35 Early Bird if booked before 31/1/25)
Please email mail@suemayfield.co.uk to book

This workshop is one of many held every few weeks in the conservatory of the beautiful grounds of Scampston Hall, North Yorkshire. Teas and coffees on arrival followed by a Writing for Wellbeing event with a variety of themes which are announced for the month via the events page of the website – No prior knowledge is required.

The workshop runs from 11.00 until 12.30. There is a café on site if required afterwards. Booking is required as numbers are limited. All proceeds are donated to the Heritage and Learning volunteer-led charity The Bothies. Payment details sent out on booking.

A series of monthly workshops that can help you explore feelings, and build your resilience as you connect with others in these challenging times.
The title theme for the workshops was inspired by a poem written by Deborah Cooper.
We will use carefully selected poems as a springboard for writing, reflection and conversations.

The workshops are for anyone who wants additional resources, in these unsettling times. It is for those who enjoy creativity, journalling, writing for personal or professional development.

No prior knowledge of poetry or expressive writing is required; you simply need to be willing to share, reflect and experiment with words in a supportive environment.

Facilitated by Charmaine Pollard

Learn how to introduce therapeutic writing into your work, to help people improve their health and wellbeing.
What will we cover?

This course offers insights into poetry therapy and therapeutic writing at an introductory level. The course will explore the use of poems and expressive writing as a tool for self-discovery, creativity and personal development.
Using our own experiences, we will reflect upon this process, and be introduced to some basic knowledge of poetry therapy.
Who is the course for?

This course will be of interest to writers of all kinds, medical and healthcare professionals, counsellors, therapists, social workers, librarians, academics, teachers, and service providers in a variety of health and therapeutic environments.

FEES:
Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £229.00 Concession £149.00

This workshop offers the opportunity to explore and deepen your interoceptive awareness through yoga practices, including gentle movement, breathwork, meditation, Yoga Nidra, and then builds on this “embodied learning” with reflective writing. No prior experience is required.

Even though it’s less familiar than our external senses (sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch), interoception, sometimes known as our “sixth sense”, plays a vital role in shaping emotional regulation and overall wellbeing. The better you are at accurately sensing your body’s signals, the more precisely you can interpret your feelings about a situation. This, in turn, can guide you in making wiser decisions about how to respond. This can influence our resilience to mental health challenges.

What to Expect
The yoga practice is suitable for all levels, with the freedom to move at your own pace and comfort. The writing requires no prior experience and serves as a personal tool for self-expression. Between yoga sessions, we’ll engage in short, guided writing bursts of about five minutes, using prompts to get started. This writing is purely for you—unfettered by grammar, spelling or any inner critic. You can follow the prompts or let your pen flow wherever it leads you.

Both yoga and writing are quiet, introspective practices, though there will be opportunities to share your experiences if you wish. Sharing your written work is optional, and any feedback is focused on how it resonates emotionally, rather than on style or technique. The workshop also includes a tea/coffee and cake break, where you can connect with others.

A Typical Morning Schedule (may vary slightly)
9:30–10:40: Yoga movement and breath practice
10:40–11:10: Prompts, writing and discussion
11:10–11:30: Tea/coffee break with cake
11:30–11:50: Meditation (chairs available)
11:50–12:10: Prompts, writing and discussion
12:10–13:00: Yoga Nidra deep relaxation and final writing session

Please Note
This workshop is designed as a therapeutic practice for personal wellbeing, not as therapy or a creative writing course. My role is not that of a therapist or writing critic. The focus is on self-exploration and expression, though your writing may inspire ideas for future development.

Are you frustrated with traditional evaluation methods?
Do you feel your evaluation tools don’t reflect the creative nature of your work?
Are you finding it hard to engage participants in evaluation?
Do you get poor response rates from questionnaires?

Over the course of three interactive workshops, we will look at ways in which we can better harness creativity to generate appropriate, relevant, meaningful evaluations.

From this course, I will take away:

“confidence that I can translate my other practice into evaluation.”

“using different mediums to elicit effective responses to evaluation”

April 2024 Creative Evaluation training participants

You will discover how to evaluate in ways that are enjoyable and rewarding for participants; that generate improved response rates; and deliver richer and more meaningful data.

On this course, I enjoyed:

“Discussing our collective challenges”

“hearing other people’s creative ways of thinking about evaluation”

April 2024 Creative Evaluation training participants

Working collaboratively, we will co-produce creative solutions to real-world scenarios. Sharing ideas and practice, we will explore ways in which creativity can reinvigorate existing evaluation methods including questionnaires, focus groups, feedback and monitoring.

After this course, I’m now thinking:

“Be more colourful and give the human story.”

“How can I use creative approaches at all stages of evaluation[?]”

April 2024 Creative Evaluation training participants
The full cost is £225 for three workshops and all handouts.
A £75 discount is available for freelancers and self-funding individuals. Please email support@janewillis.co.uk for a coupon code.
Find out more and book here:
https://www.janewillis.co.uk/creative-evaluation-training

A series of monthly workshops that can help you explore feelings, and build your resilience as you connect with others in these challenging times.
The title theme for the workshops was inspired by a poem written by Deborah Cooper.

We will use carefully selected poems as a springboard for writing, reflection and conversations.

The workshops are for anyone who wants additional resources, in these unsettling times. It is for those who enjoy creativity, journalling, writing for personal or professional development.
No prior knowledge of poetry or expressive writing is required; you simply need to be willing to share, reflect and experiment with words in a supportive environment.

Facilitated by Charmaine Pollard

This workshop combines the beauty of spring’s renewal with the therapeutic power of writing, offering a sanctuary for personal growth and reflection.

Infused with the vibrant energy of the season, encouraging participants to draw inspiration from the blossoming world around them.

Together, we’ll explore themes of renewal, growth, and transformation, tapping into the natural cycles that mirror our personal journeys.

Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just beginning your writing journey
Join us and let your words bloom this spring

Most people think of the tarot as just a tool for divination, but this ancient symbols system is much more than that; it’s a complete pictorial exploration of what it is to be human.
Stories are about people – their hopes and dreams, their problems and challenges, their relationships with themselves, other people and their environments. In these workshops, we’ll be using the tarot cards as a starting point for developing characters and discovering their stories.

A course of 6 workshops, total cost £96. 

Sonic Nature: Sensing the Garden of Wales. Future Wales Research Fellowship

Presenter: Cheryl Beer

Saturday 5th April, 10:00am-11:15am.

Session Outline Coming Soon!

About the Presenter

Coming Soon!

Zoom Link

Coming Soon!

 About the Lapidus Living Research Community

The Lapidus Living Research Community (LLRC) meets on the first Saturday of every month via Zoom to discuss all things research, with a focus on qualitative arts-based research practices, theory and methods.

All Lapidus members are welcome, regardless of research experience. FREE AND NO TICKETS REQUIRED. Use the Zoom link above to access the event.

In this 2-day, online workshop dedicated to the senses, Apple Barn founders Natasha and Tamzin will be joined by deep listening expert Mike Edwards who will guide us in listening to the sounds of May, as springboards for our writing.

Participants will be encouraged to use their ears to feel into season and place, and to get to know both more fully through the sounds and writings that emerge. During each session, there will be an opportunity to spend some time away from the computer to focus on the sounds of the places we find ourselves in.

Access to the outdoors is not necessary but can be included in the listening sessions if available. Places are limited for this workshop to ensure we are a small group with space for everyone to share, if they’d like to. We welcome writers of all backgrounds and abilities and look forward to listening and writing with you.

-Two day workshop: May 3rd & 4th 2025

-2-5pm UK time each day

-Online via Zoom

An online reflective journal programme to support connection, creativity, insight and expression.

Four monthly small-group workshops designed to help you:
– Pause and reflect in a supportive, trauma-informed space.
– Reconnect with your voice, creativity, and inner wisdom.
– Gain clarity and feel better equipped to tackle life’s challenges.
– Discover tools to develop a sustainable and rewarding journal practice.

Workshop Dates:
Friday 14th February, 10am–12noon
Friday 21st March, 10am–12noon
Friday 25th April, 10am–12noon
Friday 16th May, 10am–12noon

Each session offers a nurturing environment where you’ll explore creative prompts, share insights with a small group (if you choose), and build confidence in your writing practice.

Programme Details
Duration: Four 2-hour live online workshops.
Cost: £160 for the full programme (or pay a £60 deposit to secure your spot then two subsequent monthly payments of £50).
Includes:
– PDF handouts with writing prompts and resources.
– A supportive, closed group with no pre-recorded content.
– Encouragement to write with weekly journal prompts emailed to you
– Ongoing support and encouragement through Voxer between sessions

Spaces are limited to 8 participants.

A series of monthly workshops that can help you explore feelings, and build your resilience as you connect with others in these challenging times.
The title theme for the workshops was inspired by a poem written by Deborah Cooper.
We will use carefully selected poems as a springboard for writing, reflection and conversations.

The workshops are for anyone who wants additional resources, in these unsettling times. It is for those who enjoy creativity, journalling, writing for personal or professional development.

No prior knowledge of poetry or expressive writing is required; you simply need to be willing to share, reflect and experiment with words in a supportive environment.

Facilitated by Charmaine Pollard

In this session, we turn our attention to the inner awareness of mental activity.
In yoga and meditation, we aim to develop the capacity to observe or witness the mind’s activities, recognising that we are not defined by our thoughts or feelings. This practice of witnessing is a lifelong journey. Yet, as anyone who practices mindfulness or meditation knows, it often feels like an endless return to the breath, accompanied by the chatter of the “monkey mind” and the commentary of the inner critic.
Freewriting, integrated with yoga and meditation, offers a powerful tool for navigating this mental chatter. It helps us make sense of what arises, allowing us to notice and gradually loosen the grip of unhelpful thought patterns. This combination of practices helps us make steady progress in taming the monkey mind and the inner critic, creating more ease and clarity in daily life while also freeing us for creative expression.
What to Expect
The yoga and meditation practice is suitable for all, including beginners. You will be encouraged to move at your own pace and comfort. Chairs are available for seated practice. The writing requires no prior experience and serves as a personal tool for self-expression. Writing takes place in short, guided bursts of about five minutes, using prompts to get started. This writing is purely for you – unfettered by grammar, spelling, or any inner critic. You are free to follow the prompts or let your pen flow wherever it leads you.
There will be opportunities to share your experiences if you wish, but sharing your written work is entirely optional. Any feedback focuses on emotional resonance rather than craft. The workshop also includes a tea/coffee and cake break, where you chat with each other. The venue is beautiful, spacious with a garden we can use for our break if the weather is good enough!
Typical Morning Schedule (may vary slightly)
9:30–10:40 – Slow, mindful yoga movements and breathing
10:40–11:10 – Writing prompts, writing, and discussion
11:10–11:30 – Tea/coffee break with cake
11:30–11:50 – Meditation
11:50–12:10 – Writing prompts, writing, and discussion
12:10–13:00 – Yoga Nidra and final writing session

Note
This is a therapeutic practice for personal wellbeing, not therapy or a creative writing course. The focus is on self-exploration and expression, not critique. My role is not that of a therapist or writing critic. While your writing may inspire ideas for future development, the emphasis is on personal reflection and discovery.

Details
• Date: Saturday,31st May 2025
• Time: 9:30 AM – 1:00 PM
• Location: Whirlow Hall, Sheffield