Home As Archive: Metal's Essex Writers House

Anyone who is interested in the arts and is from Essex knows Metal is the place to be. Their website details their origins in the four storey, Grade II listed Georgian building which sits within the grounds of the much loved Chalkwell Park in Southend on Sea. The Hall was transformed into a multi-use arts space that houses upwards of 20 national and international artists for in-house residencies each year. Metal Southend also hosts a wide range of events, exhibitions, classes, development and education engagement with local schools. They’ve had a huge impact on the cultural landscape of Southend and wider Essex. We know, because we’ve been lucky enough to receive artistic residency there before.

In what has been a pretty rubbish past year for the arts and culture, Metal has re-emerged with another Essex Writer’s House - an incredible programme in partnership with Essex Book Festival. They are ‘bringing you a range of inspiring online and uplifting outdoor events and opportunities to raise the spirits and reconnect through writing and words. Events for anyone interested in writing – from those who are just starting out, to established authors […] Essex Writers’ House is an opportunity to meet new people, share ideas, get inspired and explore the power of creative writing on the road to recovery’

This year they’ve kicked it up a notch or two! Essex Writers’ House 2021 is collaborating with Emerging Writers’ Festival, Australia. The Emerging Writers’ Festival (EWF) is one of Australia’s most established and well-respected literary festivals developing, nurturing and promoting Australia’s new writing talent, creating platforms for connecting writing communities and their audiences. This project will hear from 5 writers from Essex and 5 from Australia. They’ll perform dramatic readings of their work around the concept of Home as Archive; a deep dive into the world we inhabit on opposite sides of the globe. EWF expects that “each writer will dive into their personal archive with their own words, uncovering histories and artefacts not mentioned in traditional history books. Between heart and home, there is a story. For many, the home is built on a foundation of family, memory and history. Artists working between so-called Australia and Essex, England, share artefacts from the archives of their personal histories, and weave stories and intimacies once untold.”

Sounds pretty good, right? Right! And - get this: we’ve been asked to be part of the project! We know - we couldn’t quite believe it either.
We’ll be working - as always - as a duo, unpacking our histories as products of Essex but with families from far and wide. What is home when it could have been so many places?

We’ll be sharing our work on Friday 18 June alongside 9 other incredible writers (4 other Essex Writers and 5 great Aussies): M G Boulter, Katerina Bryant, Ana Maria Gomides, Steven Lawes, Delaine Le Bas, Jazz Money, Anne Odeke, Tasnim Sammak & Adam Thompson.

Because of the time difference, the event will kick off at 8am via a Youtube Premier which is perfect for you early risers, but if you’re still acclimatising to the day at that point, you can catch the stream later on as it will stay up as part of the EWF. We’ll post the links once they become live. The best news? It’s FREE. That’s right. F R E E. As in, no charge. 10 writers, one conversation, 0 fee? Be there or be square.

Okay. Now time to get writing…

USEFUL STUFF TO KNOW:

WHAT: Home As Archive: Emerging Writers Festival Melbourne, presented in collaboration with Essex Book Festival & Metal Culture, Southend.
WHEN: Friday 18th June - 8am BST, 7pm AEST.
WHERE: Online, via EWF’s website and later on their Youtube Channel.
COST: £0.00