The Doek Workshops are designed to teach creative storytelling and foster a community of Namibian writers and visual artists dedicated to honing their craft.
For aspiring, emerging, and established Namibian writers and visual artists the workshops provide rare connections to local, national, and international communities of literary artists (writers, editors, publishers, and curators) as well as valuable links to continental and global literary agencies and organisations.
FOCUS
The monthly workshops cater for literary artists working within the following disciplines:
- fiction (short stories and novels),
- nonfiction (creative nonfiction, essays, memoirs, and narrative nonfiction),
- poetry (written for the page, not for performance), and
- visual art (photography and illustration).
FORMAT AND CONTENT
Each month, the mechanics of specific literary disciplines—fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or visual art—are offered in a workshop. Specific topics within each discipline are selected and taught in detailed, engaging, and creative tutorial sessions designed to empower participants to produce work with a higher level of skill.
There are three tutorial sessions each month. Each session is two hours long, taught in-person, and held on a Saturday morning at the Doek Studio in Windhoek, Namibia. There is no online version of these workshops.
COST AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS
Places within the workshops are limited and offered on a first-come, first-serve basis. The workshop admission fee is NAD1500—this fee covers the whole workshop—there are no additional costs for attending the tutorial sessions). To aid in national efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19, workshop numbers are currently limited to ten.
Prospective participants must have an above-average English language proficiency. The workshops deal with abstract, conceptual, and practical aspects of reading, writing, editing, and publishing—they are not academic language or literacy courses and do not provide certificate or degree accreditation.
Participants must bring basic writing materials (pen and paper) to each tutorial session. It is important to note the Doek Studio is an analogue space designed to foster connection and creativity between the facilitator and the participants. Digital technologies (cellphones, laptops, or tablets) are not permitted in the workshops. Safe and secure storage is provided for each participant’s belongings.
Participants who have successfully secured a place in a workshop session will be provided with further course materials depending on the subject matter of each workshop or tutorial session.
From time to time, prospective participants might be required to provide writing or visual art samples in order to secure admission into particular workshops.
Light refreshments are provided at each tutorial session.
BENEFITS
The Doek Workshops are an integral part of Doek’s mission to create a robust literary landscape in Namibia. Through these workshops, literary artists will be provided with the skills needed to participate in local and national literary activities.
Particularly promising participants will be provided with further publishing opportunities in Doek! Literary Magazine and access to mentorship provided by prominent writers, poets, and visual artists from Doek’s growing partnership network.
WORKSHOP SCHEDULE
- To be announced.
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PREVIOUS WORKSHOPS
This Short Story Might Take A While (February, 2021)
The Hidden Faces Of Character (March, 2021)
What We’re Talking About When We Talk About Writing (September, 2021)
It’s A Plot, Not A Coup (September, 2021)
Not By The Colour Of Their Skin, But By The Content Of Their Character (September, 2021)