Hey there folks - I'm working on a really interesting project at the moment, and wondered if any of the RDISS alumni might be interested in joining in?
A while back I posted on my blog about the 826 after-school writing workshops set up by author Dave Eggers in the USA. Eggers is the guy behind the literary journal McSweeney's, and recently wrote the screenplay for Where the Wild Things Are.
A few years back he was moving McSweeney's to new premises, and wanted to include an after-school workshop in the new space, where kids could work with professional writers, and then have their work published. The conditions of the building they were moving into demanded that it was fronted by a retail space, so they created the fantastic Pirate Supplies Store - a shop where pirates could pick up all they needed for daily life. The writing workshop was then accessed through a secret door. Check out Eggers' TED talk for a full (and hugely entertaining) explanation.
The workshop and shop were both a wild success, and a whole series of them have been set up across the US, each with a different type of shop. Brooklyn has the Superhero Supply Co., selling everything from capes to anti-matter, LA has the Echo Park Time Travel Mart, whose tag line is 'Whenever you are, we're already then'.
We're trying to set up something similar in the UK - you can read more about it on this post from our blog (there's also a Facebook Group, and Lucy and Ben who are running things have set up a blog). We've secured some funding, and are currently looking at potential spaces around London, with a view to opening a 6 month pilot later this summer.
Currently we're particularly looking for anyone who can help with designing and constructing the retail space and workshop area; but any help of any kind would be fantastic. Also, if you could spread the word, that'd be fantastic too!
Drop me an email, or contact Lucy and Ben through the blog.
