with the BBC, ITV and Channel 4, as well as theatre work at Hull Truck, Bolton Octagon and the Stephen Joseph Theatre. During lockdown, a poem I wrote Poem-19 represented Yorkshire at the BBC’s national Upload Festival. With Stories Of Care, I wrote my first short children’s story, The AFTAs, a mystery-adventure based on my own experiences of After School Club. I’ve always loved children’s stories. The power they have for children and adults alike is unmatched in any other genre. When an opportunity arose to learn from leading writers in how to create my own engaging and personal story for children, I had to take it!
Doing Stories Of Care’s Children’s Writing & Professional Development Programme was an unforgettable experience, allowing me to meet amazing people, and create a story I’m really proud of. The team were flexible with my working schedule, and always put flexibility and accessibility first, allowing a group of writers from all over the country to work together seamlessly. I would recommend.
Sophie Silver
My name is Sophie Silver and I’m 28-years-old. I live in a quiet town called Irlam in Salford, where I grew up. I was first brought here on an emergency placement to be adopted when I was five-years-old. However, my placement broke down and I soon became Greater Manchester Police’s number one for ‘missing from home’. At fifteen, I was taken out of the Pupil Referral Unit to be moved across England. Several assessment units, secure units, private care and residential homes later, I ended up in jail along with my several of my peers.
I was 18-years-old when I realised that if I wanted to change my trajectory I had to do something different. In jail, I started to educate myself and it was here that I got my first qualification: L1 English.
After being released I was introduced to Reform Radio in Manchester. Director, Jemma Tanswell asked me, “If you could do anything, Sophie, what would it be?” I told her that I wanted to be a writer, but said that it would probably never happen because I couldn’t spell. Jemma’s response surprised me. She told me that this wasn’t a problem and then she helped me to access support, including Arvon’s one-to-one English classes and mentorship from Louise Wallwein. I was soon invited to read on Gaydio and BBC1Xtra, where my story got picked for BBC4’s Pick Of The Week. Then, I received the opportunity to get my first credit for a monologue with the BBC Children’s but this is when I realised I had no idea how to write a pitch so I let this opportunity pass.
Jemma introduced me to Stories Of Care. We both thought their Children’s Writing & Professional Development Programme would be a great way to enhance my writing skills – and it did. The most important thing for me was learning how to plan my idea for a story: creating a compelling hook, structuring my story with a timeline and learning how to create interesting, purposeful characters. I also learned how to write and pitch my story, which I did, to the Design and Editorial team. The weekly classes helped me focus and Oliver working one-to-one helping me with the details, gave me the insight I need to take up any future opportunities. It also gave me the confidence to keep going with my writing as creating stories is a way for me to escape and process my thoughts. Seeing my story complete and published in a book has been inspiring. I feel like I’ve found the missing pieces to the puzzle in my writing craft.
Bróccán Tyzack-Carlin I’m Bróccán, a 25 year old comedian, actor and poet from Hartlepool in Teesside. I was born in Trafford and spent my childhood between the North-East and Manchester.
Sophie Silver. 14 PEN&INC.
I have self-produced and toured two solo shows: Don’t Bother (Saboteur Award for Best Spoken Word Show) and Turtle, which has enjoyed sell-out shows across the UK; was selected to perform at the National Student Drama Festival 2022 and is heading to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this August. I’m a member of sketch duo Rompers, and was a principal writer and performer on the BBC Radio Tees Comedy Hour. In 2020, I self-published my debut poetry collection Tiny Badger. I got involved with the Stories of Care project as I had always had a desire to write for children, but I didn’t know whether my writing style would translate to a younger audience. As a comedy writer, I address themes more relevant
Autumn-Winter 2022
Bróccán Tyzack-Carlin.
to adults but I knew how much literature and funny stories meant to me growing up. I wanted to snatch the opportunity to learn how to bring that sense of humour and joy to a new generation of children, incorporating elements of my own experience into the stories I tell. The way Stories of Care structured their workshops allowed me to access and understand how a child approaches a story. I learnt to always be aware of how different the world of a child is to that of an adult. The programme taught me to look for the magic in small everyday moments that would be accessible to a child, and to escalate those things to a scale where wonderment and spectacle is possible. Stories of Care allowed me to connect with and learn alongside an incredible cohort of writers and has instilled me with the confidence to create more fantastical, funny fiction for children. PEN&INC.
Tales of the Bold, the Brave and the Beautiful is published by Stories of Care and is available from www.
storiesofcare.co.uk.
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