Cove Park
A tutored and catered micro-residency for alumni of The New Mothers’ Writing Circle and other mother-writers, 23-25 Feb 2024.
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Sleep, eat, write, discuss, nap, write, walk, write, eat, stretch, talk, write.
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Go home a new version of yourself.
About the micro-residency
Join us for an immersive weekend of writing, talking, reading, eating and thinking. Workshops to revisit your writing practice, feedback and discussions, surrounded by a community of other mothers/writers.
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Building on the work of The New Mothers’ Writing Circle, the weekend will bring in co-leads to facilitate writing workshops, with space and time to work on your ideas and pieces, plus dedicated sharing time with a small intimate group. We will eat together, take time to read or nap, walk or run on the incredible site of Cove Park. Friday's guest tutor is award-winning author and journalist, Chitra Ramaswamy.
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You are welcome to join in as much or as little as you wish to, soaking up the silence and stillness with views over Loch Long.
About Cove Park
Cove Park creates year-round residencies for national and international artists, makers, researchers and academics.
Located on an outstanding 50-acre site overlooking Loch Long, the Cowal Peninsula and the Firth of Clyde, Cove Park is just one hour from Glasgow.
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Cove Park is situated on an incredible rural site with Highland Coos, herons, frogs and beautiful flora. Residents sleep in live-work spaces (each of which is self contained and private).
Micro-residency Pricing
There are four price points, listed below. The different prices reflect the different types of accommodation available. Writing workshops and catering is included:
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Rooms adjacent to Jacobs Building (one of which is wheelchair accessible):
2 places each charged at £390 + booking fee.
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Cubes A, B & C (created from fully insulated converted shipping containers):
3 places each charged at £370 + booking fee.
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Cubes D, E & F (created from fully insulated converted shipping containers):
3 places each charged at £360 + booking fee.
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Taransay Pod: Single bed bedrooms, en suite bathrooms, kitchenettes, shared work space.
2 places each charged at £345 + booking fee.
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The whole site has wifi but phone signal can be patchy with some providers. You will be encouraged as far as possible to digitally disconnect over the weekend.
Chitra Ramaswamy
Friday's guest tutor is award-winning journalist and author Chitra Ramaswamy.
Chitra’s latest book, Homelands: The History of a Friendship (Canongate) is a work of creative non-fiction exploring her friendship with a 99-year-old German Jewish refugee called Henry Wuga. It won the Saltire Non-Fiction Book of the Year and was included in The Guardian’s top memoirs and biographies of 2022. Her first book, Expecting: The Inner Life of Pregnancy (Saraband) won the Saltire First Book of the Year Award and was shortlisted for the Polari Prize.
Accommodation
There are 10 spaces and participant will sleep and work in one of the bedrooms across the 50-acre site.
Each accommodation unit contains a bed, desk, shower/WC or bathroom and kitchenette.
Group workshops will take place in the award-winning Jacobs Building. To understand Cove Park’s accommodation and facilities, please visit this page.
FAQs
I'm nervous about leaving my child...
Babies and children are welcome but a carer will need to accompany you throughout the weekend, to allow you to focus on making the most of the workshops. Some of the mothers attending will come with their babies / children + partner / carer, and some will come alone. Everyone attending will have a different set of circumstances and as far as possible we'll tweak the schedule to suit breastfeeds or other essential moments when your care-giving work cannot be done by another.
Cove Park has a variety of buildings with most bedrooms big enough for a family of three. The double beds are UK standard size. Sofabeds can be moved about the site so that there is ample sleeping space for partners (if, for example, you and your child co-sleep). The bedrooms within Taransay (one of the curved-roofed Pods) has 2 bedrooms each of which can be set up with either a single bed or twin beds. Additional carer’s meals can be provided by Parveen’s Canteen at a small extra cost. There is no additional cost for bringing a partner / carer + baby / child.
Partners / carers are encouraged to come by car so that they can enjoy the amazing location whilst caring for your baby / child. Cove Park sits on the Rosneath Peninsula, 20 minutes' drive from Helensburgh (with great places to visit such as Mackintosh's Hill House, Hermitage Park & play area) and other beautiful coastal villages.
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR YOU LATELY?
Think back over the last 24 hours. What has filled your minutes and hours? Your day and night? Who have you cared for? How does your body feel? Where is your identity headed? Now think back over the last 12 months. What love and attention have you shown yourself? Who is caring for you? What would it feel like to delve into these questions and many more in a supportive space with other mother-writers?
