When writing meets business meets opera, creative sparks will fly

This is a course like no other. Aimed at people from the business world who need to write effectively and communicate powerfully, the course will explore and develop creative, storytelling and presentation skills. It will be a unique way to give individuals and businesses a competitive advantage. The course combines the talents of tutors from the acclaimed creative business writing programme Dark Angels with leading figures from Welsh National Opera. The course comes in two acts in two inspirational settings, separated by a few weeks.

Act One: Telling the story  The first act takes place in the beautiful surroundings of Tŷ Newydd, the National Writers’ Centre for Wales. Tŷ Newydd is one of the loveliest and most historic houses in Snowdonia and stands in its own landscaped gardens overlooking Cardigan Bay to mountains beyond.

The first act of the programme will be led by Dark Angels tutors John Simmons, Stuart Delves and Jamie Jauncey. Over two and a half intensive days, the focus will be on developing creative writing and storytelling skills that make business writing more effective. Previous participants in the programme testify to the transforming influence of this approach.

Participants work individually and in groups on creative exercises and challenges that make their writing more personal, engaging and effective. There are two strands. Participants work in parallel on a personal and a business piece of writing, both of which are presented at the end of the first act.

There will then be an interval of a few weeks, a chance to absorb what has been learnt and to prepare for the concluding session in Cardiff.

Act Two: Presenting the story  The group will reconvene at Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff where the world-renowned Welsh National Opera is based. There, members of the WNO artistic team will lead a day-long session that will hone the individual spoken communication skills of the participants. The aim is not to create opera singers but to develop techniques that will give people greater presence, confidence and power when making business presentations.

Building on the skills learnt in the first act of the course, Telling the Story, Act Two brings even greater clarity and power to the performance of business communication. Using techniques from opera, participants are shown practical ways to present business cases more dramatically and effectively.

The wonderful rehearsal and performance spaces of Welsh National Opera will be used to inspire the participants to new levels of personal influence through their words – to move from Page to Stage and to fly like dark angels in the process

Tŷ Newydd Tŷ Newydd was the last home of the Prime Minister, David Lloyd George, and has just been completely renovated and refurbished. It is a house of historical and architectural significance with views of Cardigan Bay and the mountains of Snowdonia. Over the last eighteen years it has earned a reputation as a centre of excellence with a unique atmosphere.

Accommodation is in single rooms, most of which are en-suite. The centre is well known for its healthy, high quality food. Special diets are catered for. For travel to Tŷ Newydd please see website www.tynewydd.org.

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay  With Wales Millennium Centre as its base, Welsh National Opera (WNO) is at the heart of one of the most exciting and iconic arts buildings in Europe. As one of the UK’s leading opera companies, WNO has an international reputation for quality, accessibility and outstanding musical standards. It has been nominated for, or has won, virtually every UK opera prize including, an Evening Standard Award, four Barclays Theatre Awards, two Olivier Awards and seven prestigious Royal Philharmonic Society Awards. www.wno.org.uk

 

---

---