Our  What Next? Open Space helped students explore how they could develop their creative practice beyond university through this open space workshop. The students were discussing and planning what to do next, chatting with mentors who have experience to share and finding out what support is on offer to new creative businesses setting up in Worcester.

Rather than us reporting on how we feel the event impacted the students, why not hear from them directly? Below we have some creative responses to the event from a couple of the students…

 

The Artists’ Path Passed Today

by Lauren Pizzicaroli

 

We slowly teeter forward

On red, yellow, and blue rocking chairs

And listen to mentors like enchanters

Holding onto their words like swords.

They give us their hand, so we can

Gaze into the looking glass and see

What our future could hold.

 

One by one, the looking glass pulls us in

And we’re transported into an overgrown jungle.

Over the chitter of crickets and serpents

That swing like tempting noose endings,

Our guides tell us to keep going

No matter what enemy we could face.

 

Hidden behind bushes of white petals,

Thorns that could eject blood like cracked bottled wine

We stop and find a sign. And we see

That the map is moss graffitied.

We turn and ask for their help.

Like in a video game, we believe with them that

A new section, chapter, or quest can be unlocked.

 

They brush away the moss and point,

And ask us where we wish to go.

They tell us of this carved, pebble path hidden

To the average man, moon lit, fit for the dreamers

Who dare walk it. Then they smile and

Tell us of the different paths, the sidequests we can take.

 

Look around, they request.

Every breadcrumb of data you’ve grasped in this game

Has led you here, to this jungle,

To this blue child’s chair, this moment.

Warriors of words, assassins of art

Equipped with fine plucked brushes and paper,

We have all signed up and enlisted on the same journey.

 

Carrying fear and fire in our knapsacks,

We embark in different directions

Leaving our mentors behind, in our memory.

We can now see that the jungle has footprints

And even on the darkest of nights,

Others have gone before us and survived.

 

One by one, the looking glass pulls us back

To where we sit on our rocking chairs, still children.

But we no longer fear uncertainty,

We’re less afraid of the things that hide on the path.

We have learnt that we’re not alone anymore and

To enlist on a journey of a life’s passion,

Is one of the most noblest quests of them all.

Illustrations

by Juliet Mootz