Learn how to incorporate coaching skills into your teaching/facilitation practice through an exploration of communication techniques,and ways to support writers to achieve their own goals.

June and July 2012 - Six days including accreditation

Two Modules - 3 days each  27th, 28th, 29th June and 25th, 26th, 27th July 2012.

This course was piloted last year to great acclaim. Many writers who have also been tutors and facilitators in their working lives are looking to extend their range of opportunities for earning a living. The new field of coaching on a one to one basis is ideal for experienced writers who enjoy working with other colleagues in the field, enabling them to flourish in their writing careers. This training package will also be suitable for those working in a further or higher educational settings to enhance work with students on an individual basis.  Nine places will be offered to NAWE members, and nine to writers through the Arvon Foundation.


Feedback from last year’s course:

Excellent and inspiring.

Excellent. The trainers were open and constructive and worked with the group in partnership.  They gave practical examples to exemplify the work based on their considerable and successful coaching experience.

Strikingly powerful.  I’ve learned more about myself and about what matters to me, and seem to have taken on a bit of an internal coach which helps life go more smoothly.

I feel as though I have been given a master key to open and move through the many doors in my life. 


What is Coaching?

Coaching is all about helping a person get to where they want to be in their professional or personal life. The writer/client is in control – they decide what they want to focus on. The coach is there as a facilitator to help them to step back and gain new insights and understanding and discover their own solutions. For writers, this can be a very energizing process where blocks to writing, major challenges in the writing process, or new career tracks are explored in a supportive atmosphere. Often coaching takes place over a number of sessions within a 3-4 month period.


Course Content and Accreditation

Writers will learn how to incorporate coaching skills into their teaching/facilitation practice through an exploration of communication techniques and in depth exploration of giving constructive feedback. The course will include:

• Active listening and effective questioning
• The key principles of coaching
• Building trust and overcoming writing blocks
• Setting goals & motivation for writing careers/projects
• Tailoring feedback on creative work to the writers’ needs
• Fine tuning criticism that raises the quality of writers’ work

The accreditation offered by this course will enable participants to offer their services on a freelance basis or to literature organisations with confidence that their skills are up to date, relevant and recognised by an industry lead body.  This course will be verified by Performance Coach Training Ltd (PCT) in conjunction with (Arvon/NAWE). PCT is headed up by Carol Wilson who is Head of Accreditation at The Association of Coaching UK.


Course Tutors

Deb Barnard has extensive experience working within the creative sector, combining artistic practice with arts/business management at a Senior Executive level. She is a coach for both NESTA and Clore Leadership Initiatives, and has pioneered a number of coaching training programmes, designed specifically for the creative industries. She currently works as a freelance Creative Consultant, Facilitator and Coach, specialising in working cultures, organisational and personal development and leadership practice.

Anne Caldwell is CPD manager for NAWE, a freelance writer and educator in university, schools and community settings. She has designed and run mentoring and coaching programmes for a number of leading literature organisations and became an accredited coach in 2008.


Fee: £550 (If you were doing this course on a commercial basis the fees would be at least £1000). Please do not pay here online until you have been accepted onto the course.

Delegates will be expected to find their own accommodation, but lunch will be provided.


How to Apply

There are only 18 places available for this training opportunity so we suggest you send an application to a.caldwell@nawe.co.uk, or by post to Anne Caldwell, CPD manager, c/o NAWE, PO BOX 1, Sheriff Hutton, York, Y060 7YUYou can telephone Anne for further information – 07818 052108.

Closing Date: Monday 16th April 2012

Please send a CV and short letter of application outlining why you want to do the course, what you hope to gain from it, and how you would use it in your future working life. Please also include a paragraph about what personal qualities you have that you think are important for a writer/coach working in this field.