Students from Arts University Bournemouth’s MA Creative Writing (Online) and MA Photography (Online) recently gathered in the heart of the Dorset countryside for the second annual summer residential weekend.
Organised by Dr Kevan Manwaring, Programme Leader for MA Creative Writing (online), the retreat took place from 17–19 July at Kingcombe, Dorset Wildlife Trust’s education centre and nature reserve in West Dorset. Building on last year’s inaugural success, this year’s event saw creative writing students joined by James Elliott, Programme Leader for MA Photography (Online), alongside a cohort of photography postgraduate students.
Surrounded by the rich biodiversity of the reserve, participants spent the weekend exploring the 'edges' of their respective disciplines and engaging in creative-critical practice. Through joint in-situ activities, the retreat encouraged interdisciplinary cross-fertilisation, seeded new collaborative projects, and strengthened connections both within and across the online cohorts – all while delivering the distinct mental health and wellbeing benefits of immersing oneself in nature.
Reflecting on the impact of the weekend, Dr Kevan Manwaring said, “Bringing our online cohorts together in such an inspiring natural setting allows students to connect in ways that go far beyond the virtual classroom. Seeing the creative sparks fly when writing and photography meet, and watching new interdisciplinary collaborations take root, shows just how powerful these real-world encounters are for our postgraduate community.”
A highlight of the weekend was the Saturday evening showcase, where students presented the new work produced during their time in the field. On Sunday morning, boundaries blurred further as writing students participated in a cyanotype workshop delivered by MA Photography (Online) Programme Leader James Elliott and student Narjeet Sohanpal, offering participants a hands-on introduction to camera-less photographic printmaking.
“It was fantastic to bring the photography and writing students together in the landscape," says James. "Blending visual and textual practice allowed everyone to see their work through a fresh lens, and the cyanotype workshop on Sunday was a brilliant opportunity to get hands-on and experiment collaboratively.”
Students echoed the sentiment, highlighting both the creative inspiration and the restorative atmosphere of the reserve.
“The idea of putting MA Creative Writing students and MA Photography students together was inspirational and worked really well," says Antonia Ffitch-Moye, a student on MA Creative Writing (Online). "Hearing about and seeing their work was amazing, and I loved the idea of incorporating photography with the written word. The final session learning cyanotype was both great fun and an eye-opener... I am considering learning more about it and blending it with my poetry.
“The programme was great, encouraging us to go beyond where we might normally go with our creativity. The free time in between enabled us to soak up our environment and explore our creativity in a deeper, more personal way.
“A perfect place to stir up the creative juices, away from the entrapments of modern-day life... spending time with a group of like-minded creatives has been uplifting and a pure enjoyment."
The success of the residential underscores AUB’s commitment to fostering vibrant, real-world communities and collaborative opportunities for its online postgraduate students.
