Workshops & One-To-Ones
In our view, mentoring is communication – an exchange of knowledge and insights. When it’s good, it’s fully attuned to what a person most needs at that time. At the very least it offers a sympathetic ear – someone who is making time to listen to you. Whether one is writing, performing, producing, curating, mentoring, singing, or, speaking, to us, words are at the heart, and we wish to encourage this through offering mentoring and one-to-one sessions to those who need it most.
We have offered bespoke one-to-one and group mentoring sessions to writers, freelancers, and small creative businesses, in partnership with Apples and Snakes, Wandsworth Arts Festival, NALD, Headstart, the Bluecoat, Writing East Midlands and many more.
We've also introduced masterclasses and workshops to writers and practitioners on how to promote and market your work to audiences, and developing a tour and a one-person show from scratch.
Showcase Smoothie
From 2010 to 2015, Renaissance One was the producer of Showcase Smoothie, a pioneering arts and mental health project supporting Black and minority ethnic men with severe lived experiences of mental health to tell their stories and help turn their lives around. Showcase Smoothie was a creative collaboration between the arts sector and the health services. It predominantly targeted and supported young black men with experiences of mental health issues particularly schizophrenia as they are statistically more likely to face inequalities within the mental health system.
Led by Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT), the project team included Originators/Co-Directors Lydia Towsey and Tim Sayers (Brightsparks Voluntary Arts in Mental Health Group), Patron and Writing Mentor Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze, Project Manager Katherine Brown of Beauty and Utility Arts, Curator Melanie Abrahams, Mental Health Advocate Akwaaba Ayeh, Producer Renaissance One and the University of Leicester as a specialist Evaluator. The project was championed by Professor Lord Patel of Bradford OBE, Dr Mohammed Al-Azri and Sue Noyes, Chief Executive Officer of Leicestershire NHS Partnership Trust. Through funding by Arts Council England, regular workshops, performance showcases, mentoring and a regional tour were developed to foster well-being and wellness.
The Final Stage & Walk Good
The Final Stage is a mentoring project developed by the acclaimed poet Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze and literature organisation renaissance one to support and develop intermediate level writers in the East Midlands. The project is a collaboration between Jean 'Binta' Breeze, Renaissance One, Embrace Arts, Writing East Midlands and Nottingham Playhouse, and is financially supported by Arts Council England. The writers who have received support through the project include Deborah Stevenson, Andy Graves, Nathan Lunt, Aly Stoneman, Michael Brome, Joe Coghlan, Panya Banjoko, Michelle Hubbard, Jo Blackwood and Jo Blake Cave, as well as other writers based in the region through a programme of events and activities.
Walk Good is currently running to provide support to talented emerging and intermediate writers.
Creative Salons
Set up in 2011, the Creative Salons aim to provide a relaxing and stimulating forum with emphasis on creativity, connecting and sharing. The salons offer conversation, short presentations and skills sharing within a convivial environment, and the chance to meet new people. Importantly each salon offers short presentations by writers, producers, entrepreneurs and creative people, that follows into stimulating debate and discussion.
Guest speakers to date have included poet and Tongue Fu Founder Chris Redmond, US-based publisher, poet and rock star Jessica Care Moore, poet and playwright Dean Atta, Fundraising and Arts Consultant Angel Dahouk who was formerly the Deputy Education Manager at the Poetry Society, poet, playwright and Lyric Theatre Young Artist Associate Deanna Rodger, Bang Said The Gun founder Dan Cockrill, poet and facilitator Philip Wells, poet, impresario and Poetry Society Slam founder Joelle Taylor, marketing consultant Rakesh Parmar and many more.
