Hi, I’m Alison and I’m a writer, teacher and participatory storytelling practitioner.

I design and lead creative experiences that help people find, shape and share the stories that matter to them.

I work in community groups, universities, arts and heritage organisations and workplace teams, using storytelling and creative writing to encourage reflection, understanding, connection and a sense of belonging.

In fact, belonging and connection run through pretty much everything I write and everything I do.

My work includes community storytelling projects, creative-writing courses, team and professional-development sessions, activities that support research engagement and the creation of stories for digital platforms.

I’ve created and delivered commissioned work for organisations such as Queen Mary University of London, Loughborough and Nottingham Universities and the Royal Voluntary Service, and local arts and heritage organisations that include Culture Leicestershire and Charnwood Arts.

I’m also a doctoral researcher at Loughborough University, exploring how participatory storytelling can bring people together through the sharing of personal, community and heritage stories, with Loughborough’s textile heritage the subject of my current research.

Before becoming a creative practitioner, I worked in education and youth and community settings. I’m a writing coach accredited through the Arvon Foundation and the National Association of Writers in Education, and a member of Lapidus International, the writing-for-wellbeing community.

Altogether, I have more than 30 years’ experience of helping people develop their creative skills, share their experiences and find their own voices.

As to my own creative practice, I write poetry, fiction and non-fiction, with particular interest in memoir, children’s literature and historical writing. My published work includes books, educational resources, online courses, local-history texts and material for schools, businesses, magazines and arts organisations.

Whether I’m working with community participants, students, researchers or workplace teams, I create welcoming, thoughtfully structured opportunities for people to participate in ways that feel comfortable to them.

If you’re interested in using storytelling or creative writing to help people connect, reflect, explore experiences or share knowledge, please get in touch. I’d be happy to discuss what we might create together.