1. Creative Writing Workshop
Instructors: Alisha Patel and Fatheha Rahman
Email: creativewritingworkshop@oulook.com
Twitter: @cwworkshop
The Open Minds Programme
Session Plan
The sessions will run weekly for one hour and thirty minutes – though they can be extended for further
discussion. The first half of the session will include watching video clips from film or video games, reading
extracts from classical or contemporary novels and reviewing case studies of specific fictional individuals.
The second half of the session will be utilised by intellectual discussion and friendly debate.
We would like to have a focus group of a maximum of 10 people – being aged from 16 and over. We will
take care to make sure that all content is suitable for this age group and above.
This intellectual discussion group is different to a reading group as students do not have to come prepared for
the session, we will read and observe the different materials within the session and utilise the remaining time
with discussions regarding the themes, objectives and/or general thoughts of each piece.
Lesson Plan
As part of the Open Minds Programme, we intend to look at as many different and interesting discussion-
worthy works of fictions as well as non-fiction, as possible. We intend to notify possible participants about
the theme or subject matter beforehand each week so that they may bring in their own material as well. We
will try to accommodate to everyone’s preferences, and after the few planned sessions, we intend to allow are
participants to choose the themes or topics for the following session.
We aim to engage as many people as we can – to encourage free-thinking, friendly debates and to have a
place where individuals are able to learn or discuss different types of ideas through several forms of story-
telling, e.g. literature, film, video games, etc. The ideas are not fixed and can be adjusted to fit the wants and
needs of the study group.
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2. Session Standard Program Planned Material
Week 1:
Heroes and Villains
– Discussing
Morality
- Introduce ourselves and briefly outline
the programme – how long it’s going to
be running for and what students can
expect from our sessions.
- Introduce the theme and ask participants
to provide examples of vague moral
ideals.
- Provide extracts, film clips and case
studies – encourage reading aloud and
presentation.
By the end of the session, participants
should be able to have a broader
understanding of morality and how
social, religious and/or political ideals
can affect a person’s beliefs and actions.
Quote:
Beyond Good and Evil (Nietzsche)
Reading material:
Batman vs. Superman (Comic)
Lord of the Flies (Novel)
The Crucible (Novel)
Visual Material:
N/A
Case Studies:
Deadpool (Deadpool – comic/movie)
Vaas (Far Cry 3 – video game)
Point of Discussion:
Who decides what is good or bad?
What is ‘morality’?
Week 2:
Fear – Discussing
Horror
- Introduce the theme and ask participants
to provide examples of horror.
- Discuss development of horror in
popular culture and what creates fear in a
text or a film.
- Provide extracts, film clips and case
studies – encourage reading aloud and
presentation.
By the end of the session, participants
should have an understanding about fear
and how it can be created and portrayed
in writing and in film. They’ll also
understand the kind of thought that goes
into making an observer feel frightened.
Reading material:
1984 (Novel)
Gone Girl (Novel)
Visual Material:
The Matrix (Film)
Case Studies:
Eddie Gluskin (Outlast: Whistleblower –
video game)
Points of Discussion:
How much does gore affect horror?
Week 3:
Culture Clash –
Discussing Social
Changes
- Introduce the theme and ask participants
to provide example of social change.
- Discuss the development of social
change in recent history and the various
stimuli involved. Discuss its presence in
popular culture.
- Provide extracts, film clips and case
studies – encourage reading aloud and
presentation.
By the end of the session, participants
should take away some history of social
change – including the Civil Rights
Movements, the rise of feminism and gay
rights, etc. They should also be more
confident in voicing open-minded
opinions about those still trapped in an
oppressive culture.
Reading material:
Of Mice and Men (Novel)
Kite Runner (Novel)
Visual material:
Tess of the D’Urbervilles (BBC
Production)
Game of Thrones (TV Series)
Case Studies:
Eowyn (Lord of the Rings – novel)
Storm (X-Men – comic)
Points of Discussion:
How has society changed?
Why has society changed?
What has caused society to change?
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3. By the end of the courses, we as tutors hope to have built confidence in our participants to be more open
minded about the ideas they already hold and be able to share their opinions openly with others. We also
hope to help people engage outside their comfort zone and read, watch or play outside their favourite genres.
Reserve Sessions
Week 4:
The Future –
Discussing
Ideas about
the Future of
the World
Reading material:
The Handmaid’s Tale (Novel)
Hunger Games (Novel)
Visual material:
AI – Artificial Intelligence (Film)
Back to the Future (Film)
Case Study:
Terminator (Film)
Week 5:
Religion and
Mythology –
Discussing the
Emergence of
Religion in
Different
Cultures
Reading material:
N/A
Visual material:
Alien vs. Predator (Film)
Stargate (TV Series)
Case Studies:
Trinity
Points of Discussion:
Compare mythological gods in different
ancient cultures.
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