Lapidus Events

Start the weekend off right with a relaxing evening of Indian classical music and reflective writing.
Bring a mat, blanket, pen and paper. There will also be chairs for those who prefer to sit.

There is a lift and wheelchair-accessible toilets downstairs.
There is wheelchair access through the main entrance of the church.
The main entrace is on Alma Vale Road.
Please contact us if you have accessibility needs and we will work with you to ensure your needs are met.

One-to-One Creative Support Sessions with Kate Poll (she/her)

Take time to pause, explore, and create – reconnecting with neglected and under-represented parts of yourself, and cultivating a fuller, more self-directed and connected way of being. These sessions place writing and voice at the heart of the process, supported by sound, image, and other creative tools for wellbeing.

Together, we’ll focus on what matters most to you, nurturing your strengths, giving voice to overlooked parts of yourself, and discovering fresh ways to navigate life with clarity and confidence. Sessions are gentle, collaborative, and shaped entirely around your needs and interests.

Practical details: Online, weekdays and some evenings. £80 per session, or £288 for a 4-session package (£72/session). 15% off for key workers, students, unwaged, and Lapidus members.

Please email Kate to book.

📧 katepoll@gmail.com | 🌐 www.katepoll.co.uk

We all have them—that inner murmur, mutter, monologue. Sometimes it’s wise, sometimes it’s way off. Literature is full of these inner voices, from Woolf’s fluid consciousness to Shakespeare’s solitary speakers to Baldwin’s unposted letters.

In this writing series, we tune in. Each week, we’ll read a short, vivid piece—monologue, letter, poem or fragment from the likes of the authors mentioned below—and use it as a spark for our own creative writing. Expect wordplay, unexpected turns, and the occasional flash of insight.

Week 1: Voice and Echo – Fragments, contradictions, layered selves (Woolf, Beckett, Rankine)
Week 2: Letters Never Sent – Writing to the past self, the future self, the imagined other (Baldwin, Kincaid)
Week 3: Soliloquy & Confession – Talking out loud when no one’s supposed to hear (Shakespeare, Browning, Carson)
Week 4: The Inner Chorus – Giving shape to the internal tug-of-war (Didion, Vuong, Davis)

No critique, no need to share—unless you want to. Just bring a pen, a curious mind, and your self.

This is a ten week online course, starting on Weds 8th October, 7 – 9.15pm looking at how the process of Focusing can be used alongside writing for wellbeing, runs through till 10th December. Those using poetry or journaling with groups and want to be inspired to use poems in new ways, and gain further insights and perspectives through the process of Focusing, a gentle and spacious process.

This will be a beautiful exploration of direct experience of how poetry and writing can be deepened through the process of Focusing, which brings more compassion and understanding into our lives.

Discounts are available, if financial circumstances are difficult, so please inquire.

Writing for Wellbeing Workshop for Women
Theme: Voice – The Essence of Expression
In-person event at The Conservatory, Scampston Walled Garden, Malton, YO17 8NG, hosted by The Bothies – a registered charity.
No prior knowledge required. Please bring a notebook and pen/pencil.
Booking essential. For more information and to book, please contact sandie@essenceofwriting.com
Workshop cost: £15 to the volunteer-led charity The Bothies, including tea or coffee. BACS payment in advance is preferred, or cash can be accepted on the day by arrangement. We will share details with you on booking.
For lunch afterwards, Scampston Hall has a café onsite or you are welcome to bring a packed lunch and sit in the conservatory.

In this workshop, we’ll take a deep dive into the wonders of the unconscious with one of its most intrepid explorers. Not many people know that Carl Jung had a serious journaling habit, which became the basis for his entire psychological legacy as the great mapper of the human soul. He was also funny, eccentric and highly inventive.

We’ll be looking at the lighter side of Jung as a way to connect with our deepest selves and to take a peek into the wonderful, terrible and awe-inspiring treasure chest that is the collective unconscious.

Bring your metaphoric snorkel, mask, a waterproof notebook and your best underwater pen!

Jon Sayers is a London-based poet, transformational coach and journal facilitator with a particular interest in the ideas of Carl Jung. He qualified as a life coach with Animas (accredited by ICF), has trained extensively with (and now is on the faculty of) the Therapeutic Writing Institute. He has delivered workshops on Jungian psychology and poetry in the US, UK, Hungary and Spain.

He has facilitated writing for wellbeing sessions for diverse populations, ranging from inmates of His Majesty’s Prisons to members of local church congregations. Jon enjoyed a long first career as a copywriter and creative director in advertising and branding. His expressive writing course ‘Because You’re Worth It’ explores the persuasive tricks and techniques of advertising in relation to the self, aiming to boost self-awareness and confidence. He can be contacted through jon@everypencil.com

This series of four, themed workshops, are designed specifically for those who care and support others in their professional work, including healthcare professionals, social workers, care workers, therapists, counsellors, coaches, educators and students in any of these fields.

Writing for Wellbeing (also known as therapeutic writing) is a low cost, portable tool for maintaining our wellbeing and personal development. Each workshop will introduce you to writing as a tool for wellbeing and personal development using techniques drawn from creative writing, expressive writing, reflective writing, journalling and poetry therapy, that you can apply across your professional and personal life.

The workshops aim to provide a safe, confidential space within a small group (minimum 2 people, maximum 8), to explore your personal and professional experiences where you will be invited to explore how you can care for yourself as well as those you care for, through tailored writing exercises and reflective discussion as a community.

No specialist experience of writing is needed, just a spirit of curiosity, a notebook and pen/something to write with.

Workshop 1: Connection, Belonging & Community, Saturday 11th October 2025 19:00-21:00 GMT

Connection, belonging, community and isolation, are universal human experiences. In this workshop, you will explore these important aspects of life through writing and invited reflective discussion.

Workshop 2: A journey in compassion, Saturday 24th November 2025,19:00 -21:00 GMT

Compassion and empathy are the building blocks of the work you do as caring professionals and students. In this workshop, you will explore ways of exploring and nurturing self-compassion, to inform your self care as well as your care of others.

Workshop 3: Exploring identity, finding your voice,Saturday 24th January 2026, 19:00-21:00 GMT

Often professional and personal identities can become entwined, which isn’t always to our benefit. In this workshop, you will start exploring what identity and authenticity means to you.

Workshop 4: Workshop 4 theme: Meeting your Inner Critic and Imposter Syndrome, Saturday 14th February 2026, 19:00-21:00 GMT

Imposter Syndrome is a well-established phenomenon, and common in those in academia and Caring professions. This workshop will build on Workshop 3 ‘Exploring identity, finding your voice,’ but can be done separately, and will introduce you to creative ways to engage with your Inner Critic.

About the Group: This therapeutic writing group is for personal development. Claire will be offering a range of techniques to connect to your creative potential. There will be a therapeutic (rather than a literary) lens. Writing will be individual, with sharing in groups. We will build a non-judgemental and empathic container for your thoughts and feelings.

Who can Attend: This is open to everyone, therapists and the general public. If you are concerned about someone else attending (a conflict of interest), please contact sambaker.pa @ gmail.com, with your phone number, and we will discuss this with you.

Tutor: DR. CLAIRE WILLIAMSON PhD

Entry Requirements: You will either have attended a workshop with Claire already (please let us know the name and date of the workshop you attended). Or we will arrange an interview with Claire before you book, to check suitability.

CPD:  CPD Certificates will be given after the final module. If you have attended all the modules, the CPD certificate will be for 24 hours of CPD.

Where: Online

Dates: Tuesdays.  October 14 2025, October 28, November 11, November 25, December 9, December 23, January 13 2026, January 27, February 10, February 24, March 10, March 24.

Time: 6.45pm-8.45pm

NB If you would like to join but are unable to commit on a Tuesday evening, please let us know. If there are sufficient people interested, Claire might start a second group.

Cost: Per person for 12 sessions.
£500 if paid by 14th August.
£600 if paid on or after 15th September 2025
People joining the course late will still be charged in full (£600).

Payment Options: Payment can be made on the following basis:   With early booking discount £200 by 30th August, then £100 per month on 30 Sept, 30 Oct andd 30 Nov.
For full payment of £600.  £300 deposit.  £100 per month after that for 3 more months.

Maximum Numbers: 15 people

Menopause can feel like a storm, shifting hormones, emotional turbulence, and the fog of uncertainty. Yet within the storm, there is also space for reflection, healing, and renewal.
This 90-minute workshop on World Menopause Day invites you to explore your experience of menopause through expressive writing. Using guided prompts and gentle exercises, we will write our way through themes of chaos, healing, and quest, finding words to hold what feels difficult and to welcome what is emerging.
You don’t need any previous writing experience. Whether you are in peri-, mid-, or post-menopause, this is a safe and supportive space to pause, reflect, and discover new ease within the change.

Reclaim your voice. Rewrite your story. Restore connection

One-to-One Creative Support Sessions with Kate Poll (she/her)

Take time to pause, explore, and create – reconnecting with neglected and under-represented parts of yourself, and cultivating a fuller, more self-directed and connected way of being. These sessions place writing and voice at the heart of the process, supported by sound, image, and other creative tools for wellbeing.

Together, we’ll focus on what matters most to you, nurturing your strengths, giving voice to overlooked parts of yourself, and discovering fresh ways to navigate life with clarity and confidence. Sessions are gentle, collaborative, and shaped entirely around your needs and interests.

Practical details: Online, weekdays and some evenings. £80 per session, or £288 for a 4-session package (£72/session). 15% off for key workers, students, unwaged, and Lapidus members.

Please email Kate to book.

📧 katepoll@gmail.com | 🌐 www.katepoll.co.uk

A series of three Sunday afternoon workshops combining gentle movement and awareness sequences based on the Feldenkrais Method of somatic education with poetry and expressive writing. The sessions are designed to engender a more connected and embodied form of writing and to inspire creativity and self-exploration.
Come along for the whole series or drop in for one or two workshops.

Sundays:
Oct 26
Nov 2 and 9
3-5.30pm

Email annetaylor.writer@gmail.com to reserve a space and for payment details.

Explore the pioneering psychology of Carl Jung and learn how writing and imagination can be used as tools to access the unconscious, untether creativity and expand your sense of possibility with Dr Rachel Newsome

According to Carl Jung, deep beneath our everyday awareness, we all have an undiscovered self who is the creative, animating and healing inner life-force behind our intuition, imagination and dreams. It is through learning to attune to the embodied wisdom of our undiscovered self that we can experience this deeper level of reality as an expansive cosmological web in which everything and everyone is connected. In this way, we can create the necessary conditions for living more fully, authentically and meaningfully.

Over this five week course, you’ll be introduced to key Jungian concepts, including Jung’s model of the psyche, the collective unconscious, the archetypes, active imagination and individuation. You’ll explore how writing and imagination can be tools to help us access what Jung calls the ‘real psychic truths’ via the lens of the child, self and shadow archetypes, with a view to considering how we can bring we can deepen self-awareness and cultivate wholeness towards living more creatively and fully.

Sessions will include:
An accessible introduction to key Jungian concepts.
Guided writing exercises.
Small group discussions.
Weekly worksheets.
Recordings of each session.

Schedule
Week One: In week one, you will be introduced to key Jungian concepts, including the model of the psyche, the archetypes and the collective unconscious. The guided writing exercises will focus on exploring yourself as you see who you are now and investigating how our emotions can help us access a deeper layer of ourselves.

Week Two: In week two, you will be introduced to the child archetype and its associations with curiosity, imagination, creativity and play. You will explore your undiscovered child self through guided writing prompts focussed on exploring and activating these qualities in yourself.

Week Three: In week three, you will be introduced to the self archetype and its associations with wholeness, healing, creativity, wisdom and inner guidance alongside the technique of ‘active imagination’. You will write this undiscovered ‘great’ self’ through guided writing prompts focussed on exploring and activating these qualities within yourself.

Week Four: In week four, you will be introduced to the shadow archetype and its associations with exiled aspects of ourself we prefer to bury and disown. You will explore your undiscovered shadow self through guided writing prompts focussed on gently exploring what may be hidden in your dark trunk.

Week Five: In week five you will be introduced to the Jungian concepts of the ‘golden shadow’ and ‘individuation’ – Jung’s term for the journey of psycho-spiritual growth. You will explore your undiscovered ‘future’ self through guided writing prompts focussed on integrating insights and experiences gained over the course with a view to facilitating individuation and the self you are in the process of becoming.

Write Your Undiscovered Self is for:
Those on a journey of self discovery who are interested in learning writing techniques to support psycho-spiritual growth and who are comfortable with diving deeper
Writers & creative practitioners interested in expanding their practice and range
Therapeutic practitioners and professionals in health, social care, education, the arts & creative industries who would like to learn more about how writing can be a form of healing.

About Dr Rachel Newsome
I’m a writer & creative guide with a Jungian arts-based PhD in Creative Writing and twenty years teaching experience as a former lecturer in Higher Education. I now run a programme of depth writing workshops, courses & retreats focussed on inspiring the creative self in everyone. I’m a Seed Talks expert speaker, serve on the Editorial Team of the London Arts-Based Research Centre, am Co-Editor of forthcoming Routledge publication The Creative Psyche: Between Spirit & Matter and am author of the ‘living autobiography’ Dreaming Awake on Substack.
rachelnewsome.co.uk
https://drrachelnewsome.substack.com

Truth and Trickery: A workshop and writing series exploring the stories we tell.
Words … couldn’t change half way through a sentence like people, so it was easier to spot a lie.
(Jeanette Winterson: Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit)

In short, trickster is a boundary crosser. We constantly distinguish – right and wrong, sacred and profane, clean and dirty, male and female, young and old, living and dead – and in every case trickster will cross the line and confuse the distinction.
(Lewis Hyde: Trickster Makes This World)

Six online monthly workshops £18 per month (£108)
24th September 2025 – 25th February 2026
7 – 8.30pm GMT

People use trickery on a daily basis. Families have secrets, couples deceive one another, and those with power lie for political gain. Why do we lie and are there multiple versions of truth? Who suffers from the telling of untruths and when does it matter? Are there conditions of power that determine what is truth and, how has social media added a new dimension of what might be termed ‘post truth?

This creative writing programme is an invitation to pause, reflect, and explore the personal and professional impact of truth and trickery. We will use guided writing, reflective discussion, and optional sharing to consider the subject at a micro level (personal life) and a macro level (social media, history and social-political institutions).

No previous creative writing experience is needed. Just bring curiosity, a pen, and a willingness to explore.
This series is not a therapy group, however, the process may stir emotions or insights. Please ensure you have appropriate personal or professional support in place if needed.

Confidentiality, mutual respect, and care are at the heart of this offering.

We will provide texts and writing prompts to give you the opportunity to explore your ideas around the following

24th September – Session 1
Who do we think we are? In every story there is a truth waiting to be told, or to be made, and in every story, there may be a fantasy waiting to run wild. What can our writing make of an imaginary self?
This session will be dedicated to meeting one another. We will begin with a light-hearted opening writing game and explore what happens when we tell a story, examining how and why we tell it that way. Who do we tell what? What presumptions do we make and why? We will look at the language we use to make our story more vivid, and more persuasive.
During this session, Lucy and Graham will talk about the ideas that have brought this course into being and help the group form some guidelines to ensure confidentiality, trust and enjoyment.

29th October – Session 2
Beauty tricks and pleasure. Using published text and writing prompts this session will explore questions such as – Does beauty reside in the object, the eye of the beholder, or the act of perception itself? How does aesthetic pleasure relate to authenticity? Can a pleasing lie be more beautiful than a harsh truth? In this session we will write into the nature of beauty and pleasure, viewed through the context of truth and lies. This is an invitation not to dismiss the masks we wear, but to understand their purpose, their power, and their promise.

26th November – Session 3
Doing justice to, and with, the stories we encounter. In this session we will consider the range of our concerns – from the personal to the societal: health, politics and the law. As writers, how can we deal with ethical and artistic issues with regards to writing about others? Can we be true witnesses for others’ stories? We will look at the art of transcription poetry and creative amalgamation and consider the challenges of writing in places like prisons or hospitals and working with the vulnerable, perhaps by, to misquote Emily Dickinson, “telling the truth but telling it slant”.

17th December – Session 4
Trojan horses and cyber trickery. What if the most dangerous threat isn’t an obvious enemy, but a gift bearing a hidden agenda? We will look at deception in the digital age, viewed through the tension between appearance and reality. We’ll question the nature of trust in a virtual world where identities can be forged, and realities can be manipulated. Is the digital ‘Trojan horse’ a new phenomenon, or a modern echo of ancient deceptions, revealing fundamental truths about human vulnerability and desire.

28th January 2026 – Session 5
Walking the Maze. This will be a responsive and developmental session, looking over some matters and ideas that have arisen to date, sharing writing and re-writing that has been produced thus far and trying out some new things brought by you, the participants, to the group. What have we learned from each other? We will be responding creatively in writing.

25th February 2026 – Session 6
Final Truths. In a world of shifting realities, what truths remain at the very end of the journey? We will inquire into the ultimate questions of meaning, purpose, and existence.
We’ll explore the ‘truths’ revealed in moments of change, loss, and acceptance. These are not the truths found in a textbook, but the fundamental realities that emerge when we strip away our daily fictions and confront the core of who we are. We’ll question the relationship between living a good life and understanding its end. How do our personal narratives shape the legacy we leave behind? Is there a single, final truth waiting for us, or do we create our own meaning in the face of an uncertain conclusion?

Dr Lucy Windridge-Floris has over 30 years’ experience in the creative arts working in academia, healthcare and private settings. She actively contributes to the global conversation on the intersection of creativity, therapy, and social change. She and her husband travel between Cape Town and the UK to stay close to family.

Her duo-autoethnography Unpicking Horrifying Moments of Uneasy Silence: Writing Responses to Gestures of Islamophobia in the UK is grounded in her and her husband’s personal experiences and illustrates how creative writing can be a powerful tool for processing, understanding, and healing.

Graham Hartill was born in the English Midlands and has lived in the Black Mountains of Wales for over thirty years. He teaches post-graduate students Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes for the Metanoia Institute, has worked in a wide variety of community and health settings and was writer-in-residence in HMP Parc for fifteen years.

Recent publications include: Knotworks: (with artist Jeanette McCulloch, 2025);  Rhapsodies: (poems, 2021) both from Aquifer Books; and The Seven Worthies of the Bamboo Grove (translations, with Wu Fusheng, 2020), The Commercial Press, Beijing.

Image Made by The Jolly Chameleon

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.

Collaborative research: This session offers a view of how, as a practitioner-researcher, I have used reflexive collaborative engagement with others to co-construct new knowledge.

Presenter: Kim Etherington

Date: Saturday 1st November 10:00am-11.15am

In conversation with Dr Jeannie Wright we will reflect upon the practices and processes involved in a project I undertook to explore my clients’ experiences of being in therapy with me.  These ideas can apply equally to practitioners in the field of using words and writing for wellbeing who want to research their practice through inviting, listening and dialoguing, and making sense of experience with individuals or group members. 

My curiosity was partly driven by my belief that we need to be accountable for our practice, and partly by my need to discover if, and how, my competence had developed over the years, and what worked and what didn’t work for my clients.

About the Presenter 

Kim Etherington PhD is a professor emerita of Narrative and Life Story Research at the University of Bristol, UK, a trauma therapist, and board member for LIRIC – the Lapidus research journal.

Etherington, K. (2000). Narrative approaches to working with adult male survivors of child sexual abuse: The clients’, the counsellor’s and the researcher’s story. London: Jessica Kingley Pubs:

Jeannie Wright PhD: Lapidus International is the group of people I’ve stuck with – for decades now – unlike most other organisations, workplaces and countries! I’m on the LIRIC Editorial Board. Kim and I were joint Chair of Lapidus for a while and joint Research Director of Lapidus International for even longer. Finding one of Kim’s books 25 years ago enabled me to finish some research I was just starting.

Wright, J. (2018) Reflective writing in counselling and psychotherapy 2^nd ED. Los Angeles: SAGE. 

Suggested Reading

As examples of collaborative research.

Etherington, K. ((2000) Researching, writing and publishing trauma stories: learning from practice. LIRIC journal, Vol.1, Issue 1: pp 62-85. https://liric.lapidus.org.uk/index.php/lirj/article/view/20/10 

Useful edited book on collaborative processes – both ‘telling’ and ‘showing’. In depth accounts of the practice of collaborative, dialogic conversations that can transform lives from diverse disciplines and contexts

Anderson, H., & Gehart, D. (2007). Collaborative Therapy: Relationships and Conversations That Make a Difference. Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.

Gehart, D., Tarragona, M., & Bava, S. (2007). A collaborative approach to research and inquiry. In H. Anderson & D. Gehart (Eds.), Collaborative therapy: Relationships and conversations that make a difference (pp. 367–387). Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.

Zoom Link

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82940420052 

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.

An introduction to Compassion Journalling using creative and mindfulness prompts to develop dialogue with your compassionate voice through a two-pen journalling technique.

This gentle, embodied approach helps participants reframe self-criticism, build resilience, and strengthen everyday self-acceptance through accessible therapeutic writing practices.

Course Structure: Four 90-minute online sessions exploring creative prompts, mindfulness techniques, and the practical application of compassionate self-dialogue in daily life. Participants will learn sustainable tools for ongoing reflective practice.

Facilitator: Kate Poll – MSc Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes, specialising in creative facilitation and reflective wellbeing practices. Author of ‘Writing myself back’ (Lapidus Magazine, Issue Six).

When: Wednesdays 1-2:30pm GMT, November 2024 Format: Online | Small group format Investment: £150 per person (15% discount for students & key workers* = £127.50)
One free place available per course for those unable to afford it. All experience levels welcome
Contact: katepoll@gmail.com | katepoll.co.uk
Suitable for individuals seeking personal development tools and practitioners interested in therapeutic writing approaches.

One-to-One Creative Support Sessions with Kate Poll (she/her)

Take time to pause, explore, and create – reconnecting with neglected and under-represented parts of yourself, and cultivating a fuller, more self-directed and connected way of being. These sessions place writing and voice at the heart of the process, supported by sound, image, and other creative tools for wellbeing.

Together, we’ll focus on what matters most to you, nurturing your strengths, giving voice to overlooked parts of yourself, and discovering fresh ways to navigate life with clarity and confidence. Sessions are gentle, collaborative, and shaped entirely around your needs and interests.

Practical details: Online, weekdays and some evenings. £80 per session, or £288 for a 4-session package (£72/session). 15% off for key workers, students, unwaged, and Lapidus members.

Please email Kate to book.

📧 katepoll@gmail.com | 🌐 www.katepoll.co.uk

Words in the Wood brings together the calm of nature and the joy of writing, in the beautiful surroundings of Hazel Hill Wood in Wiltshire.
The day consists of gentle facilitation with writing prompts and the chance to share in a supportive and like-minded group. No rules, no pressure — just space to breathe, explore, and let your writing flow.
The day will run with a group of 6-15 participants. We have access to beautiful spaces indoors and out, so the weather needn’t trouble us.

One-to-One Creative Support Sessions with Kate Poll (she/her)

Take time to pause, explore, and create – reconnecting with neglected and under-represented parts of yourself, and cultivating a fuller, more self-directed and connected way of being. These sessions place writing and voice at the heart of the process, supported by sound, image, and other creative tools for wellbeing.

Together, we’ll focus on what matters most to you, nurturing your strengths, giving voice to overlooked parts of yourself, and discovering fresh ways to navigate life with clarity and confidence. Sessions are gentle, collaborative, and shaped entirely around your needs and interests.

Practical details: Online, weekdays and some evenings. £80 per session, or £288 for a 4-session package (£72/session). 15% off for key workers, students, unwaged, and Lapidus members.

Please email Kate to book.

📧 katepoll@gmail.com | 🌐 www.katepoll.co.uk

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.

Romantic love gets plenty of attention, but what about the importance of friends to our health and wellbeing?

We’re exploring and celebrating friendship in this workshop for fun, but the research is clear: having a supportive network and closeness with others increases our resilience. In a city like London, where millions live and can still feel surprisingly alone, we all need connection.

An invitation to explore friendship in its many forms through visual and written prompts – some concrete, some abstract, playful and reflective – come see what inspires you on the day.

Alison Cable and Kate Poll are friends and share the editorial role at Lapidus Magazine.

About Alison

Alison, MA/MSc, is a creative facilitator based in north London with a background in literature, education, and writing for wellbeing. A former university lecturer in the US, she now lives in London, where she leads reading and writing workshops that invite reflection, creativity and connection. Alison serves on the Board of Lapidus International, volunteers with The Reader Organisation, and is a regular facilitator at the London Literary Salon.

About Kate 

Kate Poll, MSc is a creative facilitator based south of the river and loves spending time on it (less so in it but her kayaking skills are rubbish). She works 1:1 with individuals through both private practice and social prescribing, alongside facilitating groups across health, care, and community settings. Kate specialises in reflective writing for wellbeing and neuroinclusive creative practice, drawing on lived experience of neurodivergence, creative work, and caring roles.

Contact: magazine@lapidus.org.uk

Book early as spaces are limited

Whether you’re new to Lapidus or have been a part of our community for years, we want to help you make the most of your membership. 

Members can now book a bespoke, 1:1 Zoom call with our Membership Coordinator, to discuss how we can best support you through our events, networking and other membership offers.

What can you expect from a 1:1 membership call?

Calls last 20-30 minutes and are tailored to your needs. We can cover:

• The best way to find your feet in our friendly, global community
• A personal tour of our member benefits and how you can access them
• Suggested ways for you to share your experience and offerings via our platforms
• Discussing your areas of interest and how we can support your practice
• A fresh pair of eyes to identify new opportunities for you within our community
• Any other questions you may have or ways we can welcome and include you at Lapidus International

Where helpful, Flo will send a follow-up email with relevant links and opportunities for you to peruse in your own time.

How to book

Calls are available generally on Tuesday afternoons, 2-5pm UK time, and Friday mornings, 9am-12 noon UK time.

To book, please send an initial enquiry to membership@lapidus.org.uk. Flo will then reply to arrange a date and time.

Please note that 1:1 calls are a benefit that we offer to Lapidus International members. You must be a member to book a 1:1 call, and you can join our community from as little as £3.50 per month via our Membership Hub. 

Saturday January 3rd 2026, 10.30-12.30 and 4.00-6.00, and Sunday 4th, 10.30-12.30. £55 full course.

My creative goal-setting weekend is back! The best way to get what you want is to know what you want, and why you want it, in writing as in life. Knowing exactly what you want won’t mean you definitely get it, but not knowing, or being woolly about it, means you almost definitely won’t.

So start the new year with this fun weekend of workshops designed to help you identify the right writing goals for you in 2026 and start on the path to achieving them.

Six Wednesday evenings, 7th January- 11th February, 7.30-9.30 in zoom – £105 full course.
Everybody’s life is amazing, and writing about your own life makes you even more conscious of just how amazing it is.
In this course, we’ll be exploring the kind of awareness, skills and techniques you need in order to find your stories, seeking out the forgotten things for a more rich and textured remembering, and a more exciting writing experience.

This excursion-retreat weaves together the inspirational power of strikingly beautiful locations with literary pilgrimage, lively literary discussions, and expressive writing for wellbeing.

During this 12-day UK adventure, participants will be invited to respond to stirring poems and prose pieces of English, Welsh and Scottish authors within sites associated with their life and creative work. In this program, we will travel through varied landscapes, savor restful stays in delightfully scenic surroundings, and visit historically significant places within the Cotswolds, southeast Wales, Liverpool, the Lake District, and Edinburgh. As we savor the charms and literary vibe of these places, we will enjoy numerous opportunities to amplify our sensory perceptions, experience playful creativity, gather rejuvenating memories, and gain personal insight, as we respond to stimulating writing prompts.

Registration for this trip is now open, and the final date to pay your deposit and register is December 5, 2025, but you are encouraged to register as soon as possible to hold your place in the tour. Contact Geri Chavis at ggchavis@stkate.edu to receive a detailed brochure and for answers to any questions you have. Arrangements for this trip are made by Sovereign Tourism, based in London.

Program Leadership by Geri Chavis, Founder/Convener of MN Poetry Therapy Network, Professor Emerita, St. Catherine University.

Included in the cost of the programme:

• Teaching, facilitating and preparation of literary materials by Geri Chavis,
• Accompaniment by a London-based blue-badge guide throughout the tour,
• Accommodations  at Four Star Hotels,
• Private, deluxe motorcoach for transfer and touring, handling of luggage,
• Seventeen meals including full breakfast daily, and six dinners,
• Entrance fees and activities,
• All gratuities,
• Group travel insurance,
• Assistance along the way from Sovereign Tourism, based in London.