About the Open Call

This 3-week session is open to all individuals who have the passion of writing, in any form, from flash fiction, prose, poetry, songs lyrics, playwriting, journalism, hybrid, essays and want to deep dive into understanding each one’s process and/or shape a specific writing project they are starting, working on or ending, away from daily routines. Nevertheless, it is not a requirement to have an active project to work on. There are no academic requirements but each one’s own writing and the desire to devote this time to focus on writing, to grow and expand the practice nurturing within a community of pairs. No final product would be expected but the engagement in writing daily and sharing/discussing with the rest of the group. Artists from all nationalities are welcome to apply, the coordinator speaks fluent English, Spanish and Portuguese, though in the spirit of sharing with others in the workshop, spoken and written English as a common language to be able to share and communicate between each other though not a requirement, would be a plus for taking advantage of the workshop and the group experience. The goal for this session is to understand where as writers are we individually coming from & try to further work by offering ideas, craft tools and advice to be able to develop a practice and process that would fit each individual. There would be no imposing approach, subject, form, theme to writing on others, nor any aesthetic or ideological superiority of any forms of poetry or prose or approaches, any schools of art or methods of thinking about art. Together we will try to unravel and understand our process of writing, what we want to communicate, to tell and find the ways that better suit each one's voice to express. The workshop will be non-hierarchical creative space in which everyone feels challenged & inspired, & everyone feels heard. As a group, we will work on perceiving or relating to others’ experiences, and we will encourage & welcome any public or private discourse regarding anything each one might do. There would be no right or wrong, good or bad writing. This would be a space to understand the relationships between works of art & the audiences & how those relationships can be useful or exciting, thinking about what writing is for each one & how it works, rather than an exclusionary model. We would work on the craft of writing, both the metaphysical work & the mechanical work, that can’t be separated. There would be no pressure on delivering a final product nor scheduled or specific featured writing, but we do expect daily writing under each one style and time, in order to be able to work on and share on each meeting as a group. The primary goal for the workshop is that we all end our time together understanding more about writing and our own writing than beforehand, with more fruitful & productive questions to ask of writing & with new craft tools to add to our toolbox. This workshop is focused on developing & sustaining a writing practice and/or developing a project. Not only the time in the chair writing, but the making-space for the mind to play & connect & do the things writing does to language in only the way your writing can. This workshop is aimed to help to both make time & focus the mind, as well as understanding our own writing process and establish a pathway into writing as writing works for each one. The workshop aims to provide some help time and focus to you to adjust to & get comfortable with writing, foster a project & help push the boundaries & edges of what a writing can give you and what you can give to writing. Sessions goals include: Devising a writing practice that is exploratory, fun, & productive. Integrating writing into your life. Balancing inspiration & routine. Discovering & employing different tools, styles and voices in each one and between the group. Understanding each one's voice and each one own personal style. Fostering the development of a practice. Writing a whole, lot, bunch. Sharing and learning from each one and other process and experience. We will have two formal meetings a week as a group and you will have uninterrupted time to write during your time in residence. Our meetings together will be to discuss & share some of this work. When we meet we will share the theoretical, personal, metaphysical, & pragmatic elements of our writing, along with brief examples of the product. We will not be giving close-reading critical critiques of individual pieces nor editing final pieces. We will discuss what we see happening in the process & the work, & explore ways of expanding, developing & deepening these processes; part shared study, part accountability practice, part sorta group therapy regarding writing with a daily project. (And, as with all group discussions, it will create its own pathways as we continue.)

What is Offered

Workshop; Accommodation in private or shared rooms with ocean view; Shared Studio Work space with individual big desks/tables; Daily Small Breakfast (Coffee, Tea, Milk, Fruits, Bread); Weekly dinner (vegetarian menu, home made); Equipped kitchen (refrigerator, stove, blender, pots, etc.) to cook lunch and other dinners; Individual desks in the room; Other Indoor and outdoor work spaces around the house; Weekly cleaning, linen and towels (personal laundry not included); Wifi (dual signal 80MG/400MG).

Requirements

Open to all individuals who have the passion of writing, in any form. Not a requirement to have an active project. No academic requirements. Engagement in writing daily and sharing/discussing with the rest of the group is expected. Artists from all nationalities are welcome to apply; spoken and written English as a common language is a plus though not a requirement.

How to Apply

Please send us an e-mail to info@casanailha.org or complete the form on the website to receive an application and/or ask any other information you might need. The application will ask for basic personal information, a short bio, basic questions about your writing and your motivations on participating in the workshop, and 2-3 writing pieces.