Meet the Plumb Lines writing groups

The Plumb Lines project, now in its second phase, seeks to elevate the voices of underrepresented groups bringing therapeutic and expressive writing to people as a means of healing and community building. We’re grateful to the Plum family for their continued support of the next four Plumb Lines projects in memory of Katrina Plumb.

Our next Plumb Lines project is titled Identity: A Plumb Lines Anthology. It celebrates the work of members of three organizations: Out Loud poets from Misfits, which is led by people with learning disabilities; Slant! from Not Just You, which works with female and non-binary adult survivors of sexual violence; and Write it Out, which works with with at-risk secondary school students, many of whom have autism, ADHD and face SEMH challenges.

Each of these three groups were chosen for this project due to their unique take on writing for wellbeing. They are being supported by Lapidus member mentors and their leaders will each contribute to a forthcoming how-to book on running writing for wellbeing groups. Here each group describes the process and purpose of their writing for wellbeing offerings in their own words. 

Out Loud poets from Misfits 

The Misfits is a Bristol based, learning-disabled-led arts organisation, championing the creativity, talent, and voices of people with learning disabilities. Our mission is to improve the life opportunities and aspirations of people with learning disabilities, prevent social exclusion, and challenge perceptions.

Out Loud artists is our collective of poets and performers led by Artistic Lead Anita Karla Kelly, a writer and socially engaged artist. 

At the heart of Out Loud poets is a commitment to people with learning disabilities being artists in their own right, with lived experience stories to tell, creative decisions to make, and important contributions to the arts. 

For over six years we have been writing, experimenting, performing and developing our own distinctive poetic voices. Our work is funny, fearless, moving, and provocative. We write about the things that matter to us from the mundane to the monumental: from love, identity, and belonging to the ridiculousness of being human.

Our work has been performed and exhibited across Bristol, Bristol Beacon, Bristol Central Library, Bristol Council House, Southmead hospital, the Bear Pit and festivals across the city. 

To find out more and see our Out Loud Poets in action visit misfitstheatre.com

Slant! from Not Just You

Not Just You is a community of survivors of sexual violence who have been running therapeutic groups for female and non-binary adult survivors since 2021. At the moment we are focussing on peer support groups and group writing therapy. Our trustees, staff and volunteers are all survivors and have all attended our groups so they understand better than anyone what our community needs.

Our fundamental belief is that we need each other. Coming to terms with sexual violence can feel incredibly isolating and being together in that is the antidote. In our writing groups we use gentle prompts around archetypal objects and folk tales, expressive and reflective writing and responses to prose, poetry and the visual arts. We focus as much on sharing the words as finding them, and in expressing deep or ancient feelings and having them held with resonance and without expectation our participants have a new emotional experience which changes the story underneath them. Sexual violence runs on a power differential and by coming together we can neutralise that enough to find a shift.

Learn more at www.not-just-you.co.uk

Write it Out

Helen Bowen delivers workshops and 1:1 sessions focusing on writing for wellbeing and self-expression with children aged 11 to 16 facing specific challenges in their lives, providing a gentle support intervention in school. Helen’s sessions use a range of stimuli including poetry, stories, objects, and art to encourage reflection and self-expression through writing. The pupils have a range of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) needs. Sessions aim to provide a safe and nurturing space where children can express their thoughts and feelings by writing from the heart. The children have responded positively and have produced some beautiful poems on all kinds of topics and themes including nature, animals, colours, feelings and identity.

Learn more at instagram.com/writeitout4wellbeing

Get involved

Do you run a writing for wellbeing group for underrepresented writers that would be interested in participating in the next Plumb Lines project? We are currently accepting applications for our March and September 2027 cohorts. Apply at lapidus.org.uk/plumb-lines

Are you an experienced writing for wellbeing facilitator with a history of mentoring or working in a training role? To apply to be a Plumb Lines cohort mentor please email plumblineseditor@lapidus.org.uk for more details.