Creative Space

This paper reports on two writing retreats we ran in March and April 2007, attended by 35 lecturers from the University of Brighton and the University of Sussex. We received funding for the retreats from the Creativity Development Fund and, as such, the retreats were free to participants. One retreat was held at the University of Sussex and was residential; the other was held at the University of Brighton and was non-residential. The aims of the retreats were to (a) develop the relationship between personal creativity and academic work, and (b) to offer a space in which participants could explore more creative ways of teaching, researching and writing. The retreats were modelled on creative writing retreats, with group work, individual writing, and discussion. However, all activities were framed by academic concerns and the demands of the academic role. We especially drew connections between academic and creative writing and examined the boundary between ‘the academic’ and ‘the creative’ and the similar processes involved in academic and creative writing.