Join Nichola Charalambou from Creative Writes for a Walk & Write workshop, themed around Jewish stories and related sites around JW3’s neighbourhood.
We will engage our senses and take inspiration as we walk, followed by writing time back at JW3, where we will also have time for a coffee & pastry.
Our walks will include the JW3 mural and stories, prominent local characters, landmarks for the arts in the area and other points of interest.
This workshop will be a celebration of the area and its rich history, in keeping with JW3’s Bar Mitzvah year.
Creative Writes was formed in 2009 to develop a writing community and uses free flow writing as its foundation. There is no critique on the work, so you can write without worrying about how it is going to be received. Nichola will provide resource handouts and guide you through timed writing exercises. There will be two JW3 Walk & Write Workshops – join us for both or just one. Although the main focus will be on the writing, there is no pressure to read your work aloud to the group.
What You’ll Learn:
- Getting ideas onto the page – learning how to start writing and keep going without worrying about perfection.
- Finding your own voice – writing in a way that feels natural and true to you
- Feeling confident to write – letting go of self-doubt and enjoying the creative process
Who It's For:
This course is for anyone who wants to write, whether a complete beginner or more experienced. No previous experience or prep needed.
It’s also great for people who enjoy meeting others, sharing ideas and being creative together in a relaxed, supportive setting.
Who Delivers It?
Nichola Charalambou is the Director & Facilitator at Creative Writes - accessible & inclusive Creative Writing Workshops based in North London (since 2009): www.creativewrites.co.uk
She is also a Community Engagement Professional with experience across the Non-profit, Creative Health, Wellbeing & Heritage sectors. Her work has a focus on older adults from diverse backgrounds.
What will we cover?■
10 May: Session 1
Step into JW3's local neighbourhood and discover the powerful, often untold stories of women who have shaped British and Jewish life.
The creative guided walk will begin at JW3, using the mural to discover the notable Jewish women it highlights and celebrates.
We will also reflect on women whose achievements are not represented, including Rosalind Franklin, whose groundbreaking scientific contributions were only recognised after her lifetime.
From there, we will discover a nearby historic site connected to women’s education, and now an intriguing complex of historic and contemporary architecture and sculpture. Pausing to imagine the lives and ambitions of the women who once studied there, we’ll draw inspiration from the surroundings for creative writing and reflection.
The walk concludes back at JW3 with coffee, conversation and the opportunity to share writing - celebrating these women’s impact while uncovering stories that deserve to be more widely known.
14 June: Session 2
As with session 1, we will begin at the JW3 mural - this time turning our attention to some of the pioneering men represented, including Nicholas Winton and Sigmund Freud. Their stories offer a gateway into a wider exploration of leadership, refuge, intellect and cultural influence within British and Jewish life.
From JW3, we will walk through the surrounding streets to the Freud Museum and nearby blue plaques, uncovering layers of history embedded in the architecture of Maresfield Gardens.
Along the way, we will pause at sites rich with memory, including the former Cosmo Restaurant, once a gathering place for notable Jewish figures, and reflect on the area’s vibrant past. We’ll step back into the 1930s and 1940s, when German-speaking Jewish refugees reshaped the neighbourhood, so much so that it was nicknamed “Finchleystrasse.”
Imagining the conversations, sounds, and atmosphere of the time, we bring these stories to life before returning to JW3 for coffee and creative writing, inspired by the places we’ve encountered and the legacies we’ve explored.