Dress for the job you want
Thanks for joining us at the Coop last night, plus community events and open calls for writing & writers
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Thank you so much to everyone who joined us for this month’s Chicken Coop Writing Group at Lost in Leith Bar & Fermentaria.
We had a great time chatting about all things workplace and corporate culture and everyone dived into these tasks and came up with workplace survival guides that ranged from grounded and realistic, to the unhinged and fever-dream spoken-word-esque pieces about being the castle you want to see in the world.
And like an ancient being, I printed a bunch of memes out so we could all enjoy them irl.
The Coop will be back next month on Tuesday, October 29. You can stay up to date on future events here in our newsletter and on my Instagram, Eventbrite, or Facebook.
What did we get up to last night?
Last night was all about workplace and corporate culture and how it impacts us physically, mentally, emotionally, and politically.
This whole thing started with a meme about dressing for the job you want, I wanted to look at this and address why we have to ‘dress for success’ and how this immediately crosses boundaries for many groups of people who may need to dress in a particular way for comfort, or due injuries, disabilities, medical conditions, sensory needs, mental health, and so many other reasons.
Why is it that we have to present ourselves in a certain way visually to be considered good workers? Does a dress code matter in a post-Covid world where we work remotely or hybrid?
With these tasks, consider how we can work in better, more comfortable ways that maintain our boundaries and allow us to balance work and life in better, more sustainable ways.
Task 1 - How does work and corporate culture impact you?
Starting with the questions about dress codes and how we have to change to fit into our workplaces, you’ll then move on to bigger questions about boundaries and the contradictions of workplace and corporate culture.
How does dressing for your job change how you see yourself?
How do you feel about having a ‘second’ wardrobe?
Do you feel like your boundaries are respected by your colleagues and workplaces? If so, why? And if not, why not?
How do these oversteps and boundary crossings impact you emotionally and mentally?
Do you feel like your workplace takes your mental and physical health needs seriously? Do you feel you’d be supported if you needed time off to recover?
Does your workplace have any real action/follow-through to address staff wants and needs? For example, do you have an inclusive menstrual policy or equal rights for all parents regardless of gender or family structure?
How do you navigate the conflict between corporate politics and values, and your personal politics and values?
How would you like your workplace to change to align with your values or society at large?
You can write short answers, select single words and phrases, or write paragraphs in response to each question.
Task 2 - What’s on your mind?
For this task, you can write all (or some) of the things you’ve never said to your boss or coworkers, vent your frustrations, or talk about those workplace fantasies where you finally reach your limit and quit in a blaze of glory.
To build on this questions, consider what you’d do if you didn’t have to work to pay rent or bills. Use this time to explore your fantasies.
To help with this, consider the following:
If you could quit tomorrow, what would you do with your time?
Would you move to the middle of nowhere and read books forever?
Would you travel the world and never look back?
Task 3 - Create your own workplace survival guide
Sometimes workplaces organise chats with current employees for prospective employees, try to write a realistic guide for a new employee about how to survive your workplace.
Think about the ways your boundaries are crossed and how you’d advise someone to avoid these pitfalls.
Are there people you’d tell them to avoid?
Is there a trick to maximising your lunch break?
Do you work in an industry that isn’t as urgent as people make it seem, i.e. marketing, and is there a way people can get through the day without having to buy into someone else’s panic?
You can write a list, create a cut-and-fold zine, write a poem, or a Buzzfeed-style article.
Community events
Tonight, September 25, The Poetry Experiment returns to The Alchemy Experiment in Glasgow. Join poet, event organiser, and host, Ross Wilcock for this monthly poetry and storytelling open mic for writers and performers of all stages of the craft. The event is an inclusive, safe space for everyone to express themselves and share their work. Featuring special guests and collaborations with Scottish arts organisations, The Poetry Experiment is the new place for poets and writers! Performer tickets have sold out already, but there are still pay-what-you-can audience tickets available.
Get more information and book audience tickets here
After a splendid summer, Shore Poets is back with a bang, tomorrow, September 26. This month they’re featuring Niall Campbell and Tim Time Cheng with music from Simmerdim. They also have open mic slots available too.
Find out more here
This Saturday, September 28, head to the Scottish Storytelling Centre to celebrate Scotland’s Climate Week with a free storytelling event with storyteller Donald Smith. Join Donald for an afternoon of environmental storytelling from 2.30 pm and listen to traditional stories that inspire an understanding of climate change and a connection with nature. The event is open to everyone from the age of 12 and up.
Book your space here
Edinburgh's anarchic open mic night is back this Sunday, September 29 from 7 pm. There's no limit on what can be performed at Typewronger - comedy, music, poetry, short stories, film scripts, magic acts - they've had all sorts over the years. The only limit is how much time performers get. The event runs for 90 minutes, and they divide that time by the number of performers who sign up to get set times. There's a bell 30 seconds before the end of each set, and a gong at the end which performers can’t go past! Sign-ups are open on the door between 7 and 7.30 pm.
Get more information about the open mic here
Poet, performer and events organiser, Ross Wilcock is at the Curler’s Rest this Sunday, September 29 as part of the Byres Road Book Festival. Ross is joined by writers Sumayya Usmani, Colin Herd, and Meagan Jennett.
Find out more about the event here
Fundraiser Market & Film Screening
Clothes, books and art fundraiser this Sunday, September 29 from 12-5 pm for families in Gaza followed by a movie screening. Join the Artworkers for Palestine team for a special screening of the documentary Foragers followed by a lively discussion! This event will take place at Sett Studios, and all proceeds will go directly to families in Gaza. Tickets are by donation on the door, with a minimum donation suggestion of £8.
Book tickets here
The open mic that’s captured the heart of many Good Eggs is back on Monday, September 30 at the Canons’ Gait from 6.30 pm. Join the Loud Poets team for an evening of poetry and spoken word, ranging from the wholesome and loving, to the down-right strange and spooky. This month their feature poet is Christie Gourlay.
Stay up to date with the open mic here or grab tickets here
Black History Month Scotland
Next month is Black History Month here in Scotland. BHM Scotland has been running for over 20 years and this year's programme includes a huge range of tours, talks, workshops, film screenings, and more. This rich and vibrant programme will be running across the country and includes exhibition It Wasnae Us which looks into the role of slavery in Glasgow's past, the Sugar and Slavery Online Trial, Maritime Leith’s Black History a telling of the stories that link Trinity House Maritime Museum’s collections and maritime Leith with Black History, and the Anti-Rascist Community Library.
Explore the programme here
Join local writers Megan Booth, Alyson Kissner, Alycia Pirmohamed, Tisya Sanchez, Mohamed Tonsy, Lorraine Wilson, and others for this fundraiser for families in Gaza on Wednesday, October 2 from 7 pm. This evening of poetry, readings, solidarity, and fundraising at Lighthouse Books will give people space to come and gather together with Edinburgh writers to rage and grieve in solidarity with the struggle for life and liberation in Palestine.
Tickets are by donation with a suggested minimum donation of £20. Given the aim of the event, generosity is encouraged. 100% of the proceeds will go directly to families in Gaza. This event is raising desperately needed funds for families in Gaza, many of whom have been displaced multiple times and are struggling to survive the inflated costs of food, medicine, and shelter.
Get your tickets through Lighthouse Books here
Join host and creative extraordinaire Dan Collins at Sketchy Beats on Wednesday, October 2 to celebrate sadness with music, spoken word, poetry, prose, clowning and so much more. Covers are welcome, original material is preferred, but bring your art down to Leith and spend the night showing the beautiful side of sadness.
Stay up to date with future Sad Song Clubs here
Flourish’s next show is on Wednesday, October 2 from 7.30 pm at McChuills Bar in Glasgow. They have some open mic slots available, please reach out if you fancy reading or singing a tune.
Find out more about Flourish here
Join the Creative Edinburgh team on Tuesday, October 8 to discuss how festivals are made with speakers from across Edinburgh’s festivals. They’ll be considering what Edinburgh’s festivals do to be socially engaged and how the local creative community can work with them. The event is designed to benefit early-career individuals and may also interest mid-level career practitioners. This event aims to bring together Edinburgh’s festivals and local freelance creative practitioners working through socially engaged community practice. Attendees will gain valuable insight into the vibrant festival year-round community activity, and better understand the required skill sets.
Learn more about the event and book a space here
Queer Folks’ Tales is back after a hugely successful Fringe run in August on Thursday, October 10! As always, host Turan Ali welcomes queer storytellers from around Edinburgh and Scotland to share stories of LGBTQ+ lives, past, present and future. Sometimes hilarious, often moving, and occasionally shocking, the mix of true and fictional stories is as varied as the range of storytellers invited. This month Turan is joined by Sri Lankan stand-up Madhushika Fernando and asexual stand-up Elliot Simpson, plus captivating poet/singer-songwriter Marcus Mac an Tuairneir.
Get your QFT tickets here
Tickets for the 2024 Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival are on sale now! With 220 events – taking place across Scotland from October 10-27 – the MHAF invites audiences to think about what it means to be ‘visible’ or ‘invisible’ with our mental health. The diverse and imaginative programme, featuring multiple voices and perspectives, is chock-full of engaging theatre, film, live music, art exhibitions, vital discussions, creative workshops & more. Join the MHAF this October for their inclusive and community-focused festival in which many events are free or pay-what-you-can.
Explore the full programme and book tickets here
Radical Book Fair 2024 Program Launch
The Edinburgh Radical Book Fair Program Launch is on Saturday, October 12, which is Bookshop Day. The theme for this year's book fair is From Where We Stand. With a nod to the thirty years of a radical bookshop existing on West Nicolson Street, you'll be celebrating the way histories of resistance, protest and change-making live on in every step we take toward a more just future. Join the Lighthouse team to hear all about this year's panels, workshops, stalls, and discussions, and to get your hands on a physical program. The launch will be an evening of performances and celebrations with special guests TBA, so keep your eyes on their social media!
Grab a ticket here
Open calls for writing & writers
Open Call: Research Development Commission
The Alasdair Gray Archive and the Edwin Morgan Trust are looking for a post-graduate or early career researcher to create a multimedia portfolio of work that maps and examines cross-overs and connections in the lives, work, and practices of Gray and Morgan. There will be peer-to-peer support and knowledge exchange across both organisations and their wider networks. The role involves some in-person research across different archives in Glasgow and Edinburgh, applicants should ideally be based in central Scotland. The application deadline is Friday, September 27.
Learn more here and apply to Pip Osmond-Williams at admin@edwinmorgantrust.com
Spoken Word Development Surveys
Calling all spoken word poets, organisers, and audiences in Scotland! Dr Katie Ailes is currently coordinating a research project to gather information about the Scottish spoken word scene. There's very little data about the scene, so this is a valuable chance to learn more about it and how it can be supported. There’s been a substantial response to the performers survey, so audiences and organisers, please get involved!
Katie is currently looking for responses to three surveys:
for poets (anyone identifying as a spoken word poet/performance poet, or for whom performance is a key part of your practice)
and last but by no means least, for audience members
Fill in the survey(s) that are relevant to you for a chance to win a £50 book token. The deadline for responses is October 10.
Access the form for performers here, the form for organisers here, and the form for audiences here
Bi Women Quarterly Winter 2025
The Bi Women Quarterly team is eager to see your written or graphic art around the theme of teachers and mentors. The blurb for the theme is: We all have teachers in our lives who have helped to form us into the people we are today. Some of them may be traditional educators; others may be mentors, colleagues, authors/artists, friends, relatives, or even students themselves. What roles have teachers played in your life? How have they helped shape your understanding of/perspectives on bisexuality or of yourself more generally? What is the most important lesson (or lessons) that you want to pass on to others? Tell us who has impacted you the most. The deadline for submissions is November 1, 2024.
Read the guidelines here
Call for Reviewers and Interviewers
Split/Lip Press is looking for people to cover their upcoming prose books. Split/Lip’s marketing directors have developed a handy-dandy form to build and personalise their list of reviewers and interviewers into the future. If you're new to SLP and their books but you think you could be a good fit for each other, you can still fill out the form.
To express your interest fill out the form here
Thank you for reading!
It was a pleasure to share space with new and familiar faces alike last night, and I appreciate everyone taking the time to come along and for bringing so much enthusiasm to a quite intense subject.
If you’re looking for ways to change or improve your workplace, check out this newsletter which has a list of unions for writers and creative workers. And if you’re looking to get involved in local organising, check out this newsletter from our pre-General Election Coop which has links to a bunch of local organising groups.
This month has been a lot of fun between Words & Friends and the Coop, and I’m excited to be bringing you more events until the end of the year.
This week’s newsletter is a bit of a bumper edition as I’m getting married next month and I’m not sure how available I’ll be!
Regular service will resume towards the end of October. For updates on all Good Egg events, please keep an eye on my socials or Eventbrite where tickets will be on sale from the second week of October.
If I don’t see any of you before the next Coop, take care and speak soon!
Naomi
P.s. If you know someone who is looking to join a curious, compassionate, and creative community, please share this newsletter with them!
P.p.s. Taco says hi, she’s glad people finally belive she’s real!