Arts and Humanities students attend writing retreat at NTU’s Brackenhurst Campus to develop their dissertations

The final year Joint Honours students took to the countryside campus to spark inspiration for their dissertation writing

Brackenhurst Campus

This January, final year Joint Honours students from the School of Arts and Humanities attended a writing retreat at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) Brackenhurst Campus to develop their thinking and structure for their final dissertations.

The retreat was led by lecturer and academic support coordinator Lisa Clughen, and was attended by five students and four members of academic staff, who worked on their own writing alongside the students. The group took part in writing exercises and goal setting, which helped to develop the structure for their dissertations. The students were keen to take advantage of the beauty of our Brackenhurst Campus, making sure they walked around the lush countryside during the day and visited the farm in between writing. The 500 acres of Nottinghamshire greenery and woodlands, as well as the farm, animal unit and equestrian centre, provided a refreshing change of scenery from their usual writing spaces on the Clifton Campus.

Writing retreats are common practice for writers of all kinds, as the dedicated time to write in a new environment often creates solutions to writing problems and helps writers to feel inspired. The supportive environment allowed for discussions on the participants’ writing, as well as to provide feedback on any writing-in-progress. The students were able to speak to their peers on different courses, which allowed for interesting discussions and new ideas.

The students, Eliot Broadhurst, Maryna Rekas, Shani Robson, Alice Tshimuagna and Pu Quanyeo, thoroughly enjoyed the experience. They commented that the day allowed them to write without any distractions, as they were encouraged to put their phones away during the retreat. They felt that they could write a lot more thanks to the structure of the day and the timed writing exercises, a technique that they can continue to use in the future. The supportive environment led to fruitful discussions where ideas were exchanged, leaving the students feeling inspired to continue their academic work.

This writing retreat exemplifies the commitment to teaching and learning and supportive nature of staff at NTU, who allowed the students time and space to improve their work in a non-pressurised environment. Having access to a variety of campuses in different surroundings allows students the opportunity to take part in retreats like this, enabling them to find a way of working that best suits their individual needs.