Off the Rails Writing Group, with Rebecca Sharp Block 1

Wednesdays 6-9pm: 21 January, 4 and 18 February, 4 and 18 March
Block One: 5 fortnightly sessions
Ages 18+
£160 per block ( = 5 fortnightly sessions, equates to £32 per session)

The Writing Group returns for its third full year! In 2024 and 2025 we ran for 3 Blocks through the year (Jan-Mar, Apr-Jun, Oct-Nov), and we plan to do the same in 2026. Some folk attended all through the year, some came for one Block, and some came in and out – this is all welcome! All we ask is that you commit to one full Block at a time (5 sessions). Newcomers are welcome, there’s no need to have attended before. In the past, we’ve been fully subscribed, so we recommend securing your place sooner rather than later! The group is capped at around 12- this makes for a good group experience, and ensures time for 1-to-1 guidance.

All styles of writing are supported – we cover various forms of poetry, prose (fiction and creative non-fiction), writing for performance, visual and interdisciplinary work. Each session comprises a core taught component, writing time, individual guidance and feedback, and group reflection. Each block offers different themes and techniques, so there’s always something new to discover.

The group supports casual and more focused writers/artists alike. ‘Non-writers’ are very welcome: we have several visual artists, for example, and people who simply enjoy what the group provides, with no need for a fixed outcome. Those newer to creative practice are very welcome: anyone looking for structure and motivation, a friendly group experience and an approachable teaching style. Seasoned writers will benefit from technical guidance and feedback, and will come away with fresh eyes and inspiration.

Some feedback from participants:

‘Great group atmosphere, inspirational, enthusiastic and friendly in the welcoming space of the Arthouse. Thanks to Rebecca’s expert teaching, encouragement and guidance, we have been introduced to an array of styles and techniques that not only helps our writing process but urges us to think further and expand into other possibilities. I now feel mich more confident about including writing as part of my practice, beyond my initial expectation. A creative journey’

“As a visual artist I arrived at Rebecca’s class with very little confidence in anything I ever wrote. From the very start I felt a sense of freedom and excitement about ways of finding my writing voice thanks to the dynamic and experimental approaches which Rebecca fosters in her own work and highlights through the work of others. The fortnightly classes and the supportive peer group have helped to ignite new ways of working, weaving into, between and through my making practice as an artist.”

‘I’ve been participating in OTRWG since the start and it’s taken my writing to exciting new places. The group is warm and welcoming, with a wonderful mix of writers, creatives, visual artists and folks who are just starting to explore their voice. Rebecca’s creativity shines through in each session, with inspiration being drawn from a myriad of places. The generous feedback she offers, combined with the rhythm of a fortnightly gathering, gives time to absorb, process and put into practice the learning along the way. It’s the highlight of my calendar. Highly recommend!’

BOOK NOW FOR BLOCK ONE (£160): email Rebecca Sharp on info@rebeccajoysharp.com
You will be sent instructions for payment and other information.
Full payment is required in advance: in one instalment of £160, or two instalments of £80.
Cost covers: venue and facilities, taught material and bespoke exercises, individual guidance and feedback, some structured group exercises, preparation of handouts and materials.

About Rebecca

Rebecca Sharp is a writer working in poetry, performance and playwriting, interdisciplinary and collaborative practice. Her latest poetry collection Long Field Loop (Tapsalteerie 2024) was longlisted for Scottish Poetry Book of the Year in the Saltire Awards; and Maiden, Mother, Mage (Matecznik Oress 2025), also a theatrical performance at Culross Abbey in Fife and Glasgow Cathedral. In 2022-2024 she was the inaugural Artist in Residence with the Centre for Energy Ethics (University of St Andrews), funded by Creative Scotland and the CEE, during which time she researched and wrote Long Field Loop. Her previous collection Rough Currency (Tapsalteerie 2021) received an Art of Energy Award and a Literature Matters Award from the Royal Society of Literature. Other projects have been Finalists in the Brush & Lyre Prize for Multimedia Poetry, and the Scottish Arts Trust’s Scottish Landscape Awards. She recently co-edited the anthology How Do We Talk About Knives: Contemporary Writers in Scotland on Names, Language and Identity (Matecznik Press 2023).
Teaching has included the University of Dundee (Writing the Environment, and Writing Poetry), where she was nominated for Tutor of the Year. She regularly leads workshops and other participatory projects with a range of creative and cultural organisations – including Scottish Poetry Library, Hostoric Scotland, Culture Perth and Kinross – though much of her independent teaching is now channelled into Off the Rails Writing Group.

Across over twenty years of professional practice, her experience also includes directing, editing, publishing, creative project design and management. Numerous publications can be found on her website, as well as a range of interdisciplinary projects including visual art installation and exhibitions, film, digital and sound collaborations. Her work for performance has been produced at the Traverse Theatre (Edinburgh), HERE Arts Center (NYC), the Arches Theatre and Oran Mor (Glasgow), Hidden Door Festival (Leith), Scottish National Portrait Gallery (Edinburgh), The Lemon Tree (Aberdeen), The Bluecoat and METAL (Liverpool).
She co-runs Platform Poetry events in Fife, currently at the Larick Centre in Tayport (details in her website).
www.rebeccajoysharp.com