By James Cullum,
alexandrianews.org
Some of the Writopia students.
In the back of the Olde Towne Gourmet Market & Cafe is Writopia Lab, a new place where children and teenagers learn how to write. Until now, the only place for these kids to congregate and talk about writing was in school or the library. Now they have a coffee shop in Old Town.
In two years, WritopiaLab, the New York City-based nonprofit writer’s workshop for kids, has received numerous awards and accolades. Workshops meet daily in the summer and weekly during the school year. Enrollment is limited to a maximum of six participants per workshop.
“It’s a great sense of accomplishment because a lot of these kids start a lot of stories and don’t have the impetus to finish them. Our goal is to finish a story, complete an arc,” said Kathy Crutcher, Writopia Lab’s D.C. Director. “It’s not necessarily that we’re trying to produce more writers, it’s largely that we’re trying to encourage creative and critical thinking. From what I’ve heard from parents, they’re frustrated that a lot of opportunities for creative pursuits or more critical thinking activities are going by the wayside so that their children can pass standardized tests.”
Nigest Yinesu has managed the store at 904 King St. for 14 years, first as a souvenir shop, and now as a healthy foods market and cafe. “I would like to change the whole atmosphere of this space. I want the community to use our space because its big, they can hang around, artists can the walls for their artwork, or book or poetry readings. There’s no place in Old Town like that,” she said.
Audience listening.
Serious writers can apply, but being silly is part of being a kid. “My last group of students wrote about talking possums and fantastical horses and all sorts of things. And that’s great!” Crutcher said. “You know, they’re ten years old. The idea is to get them to understand the basic constructs of a story and not just what makes us want to turn the page, but what makes us care about the characters involved. And that applies to any story.”
Crutcher said that a lot of kids come into a workshop without any ideas for stories, “and that’s fine! I have a ton of different story-starter exercises,” she said.
At the end of the five-day, three hour per-day summer workshop, the kids should have a new creative work completed.
Writopia Lab has plenty of space available for its summer workshops. Those who are interested should email kathy@writopialab.org to register.