WRITE TO WORK 

FREE CREATIVE WRITING COURSES 

& ‘WRITER’S BLOC’ SESSIONS

Are you economically inactive* and interested in joining a creative community where you can further your skills as a writer, develop your confidence, work with professional writers, and have your stories heard?

Then a FREE creative writing course could be perfect for you. Our courses are for all levels of writing ability, so no experience is necessary.

After course completion, we continue to offer regular opportunities to our participants, including practicing and developing writing skills, engaging with our community and connecting you with educational, volunteering or career opportunities. You will also be invited to join our Writer’s Bloc workshops, which consist of regular community meet ups with professional writers and representatives from educational and career organisations, aimed at further development of your skills and prospects.

Please note:

• Taking part in Write to Work courses and related activities will not impact your benefit status
• Applicants must read full eligibility criteria below before applying

*Eligibility:  

• You must be 18+
• You must be economically inactive: this means you are not employed or self-employed, not actively looking for work at the moment, not waiting to start a job. Please note that if you are retired, you may be eligible, depending on your future plans (we will call you).
• You must be living in Liverpool City Region, including the parts of the Wirral listed as Merseyside, Liverpool, Sefton, Halton, St Helens, Knowsley
• You must have the legal right to live and work in the UK
• You cannot have already completed a Write to Work course in 2024 or 2025 (it is fine if you did a course with us before 2024)
• You cannot be currently participating on any other UKSPF funded course related to careers development

Important: if you are receiving standard Universal Credit payments and are expected to search for work as part of your commitments, you are classified as unemployed, not economically inactive, and you will not be eligible for the course. The only exception to this is when you have been signed off work by a Doctor and/or are currently being assessed for health related benefits by DWP. If you have been signed off with ill health, you can be classified as economically inactive. Feel free to contact us if you are unsure of your classification.

Please also note that you should not turn up to a course without receiving a confirmation from us first. Registering for the course does not guarantee acceptance as we need to determine eligibility before we can offer a place, and numbers are limited. 

If you have any queries please email us at write2work@writingonthewall.org.uk

The good news is that you do not have to do the course to join the Writer’s Bloc! These sessions are open to our wider community. Find out more about the Writer’s Bloc and sign up here

Community, Creativity and Confidence  

These courses have had a major impact on participants and led to much career success. They have also led to success for Writing on the Wall, with the Write to Work programme recently winning the Preparing For Work Award at the LCR Culture and Creativity Awards in March 2024.

Writing for TV 2024 & 2025

In November 2024 Writing on the Wall was delighted to launch Writing for TV, the first Write to Work course of its kind, led by our very own Project Coordinator Lyn Papadopoulos, an industry professional with years of soap writing experience. Held at FACT Liverpool, the course was a fantastic opportunity for participants to gain expert insights from professional screenwriters, hone their writing skills, and build confidence both within and beyond their writing.

We were delighted to be joined by Tony Schumacher, creator and writer of the hit BBC show The Responder, and Sally Abbott, creator of The Coroner and writer on Vera, Eastenders and Call the Midwife. Both shared their inspirational stories of becoming writers, invaluable writing advice, insights on breaking into the TV industry and tips for overcoming rejection. Participants also had the opportunity to participate in writing exercises.

We then ran a second course on Writing for TV in February 2025, this time in Liverpool Central Library and with a focus on writing for soaps. Lyn, Jan McVerry (Coronation Street, The Forsyte Saga, The Street) and Jayshree Patel (Hollyoaks, Waterloo Road, Casualty) were incredibly generous with their time and advice and inspired those taking their first steps in screenwriting.

After taking part in the courses, participants were invited to CallTime Company’s industry training day funded by Liverpool Film Office through Screen Alliance North via BFI National Lottery funding. This was an amazing opportunity for those looking to break into the UK Film & HETV Drama industry. Participants gained a knowledge of industry best practices, essential set etiquette, different crew roles, and much more.

Throughout these courses, we have thoroughly enjoyed hearing brilliant ideas from the Write to Work participants as well as expert insights from TV professionals. The courses shine a light on some of the talent in this city and the stories its people have to tell. Write to Work helps you write them!

Examples of some brilliant writers who have taught on Write to Work courses

Examples of our Write to Work anthologies

To date, Write to Work has:

• Supported over 300 unemployed creatives in LCR
• Published 10 new anthologies (with more to follow)
• Delivered over 300 workshops with professional writers (and counting!)

Thank you to our amazing writers, participants, editors, partners and everyone involved.

Write to Work is funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF)