See Fighting Words in action

Visiting the main centre in Dublin will give you a valuable insight into the culture and ethos of Fighting Words. You’ll get to see how it works, both from the administrative side and the creative side and meet some of the people involved. Once you see it in action you’ll have a much clearer idea of how it could work in your local community. You’ll also get to see first-hand the magic of unleashing creative potential!

Fighting Words HQ runs sessions every weekday and at weekends so to arrange a visit at a time that suits, you can email [email protected]

The address of HQ is Behan Square, Russell Street, Dublin 1.

If you can’t make it to Dublin, we would love to meet you via Skype / Google Hangout, get in touch and we’ll arrange a meeting!

Talk to relevant people in your local community

Once you’ve met us, seen Fighting Words in action and you’re ready to get started you should start talking to the people in your local community who can help you make it happen.

This will include:

• Local writers, artists and creative people – they can help you in delivering the workshops and building awareness.
• Local schools, youth groups, parents and teachers – it’ll be important to speak to parents and teachers early in the planning process to see if demand is there for Fighting Words workshops.

Briefing these people on what Fighting Words is and why you think it’s a great idea will be a good way to get them excited about the idea but also for you to gauge local interest. Their support will be vital!

Showing this video and sharing the background, impact and some of the great Fighting Words publications will help you to communicate why Fighting Words is a great idea.

Remember that not everyone has to be on board at the beginning but it’s best to ensure that demand exists and that there is local interest when getting started as this will make it easier in the long run!

Complete training

Once you have interest from local teachers / parents or youth-groups, it’ll be time to begin the training process.

Key to the success of Fighting Words has been the consistently high quality of its programmes and volunteers. Top quality training is therefore very important!

Fighting Words HQ will provide you with this training particularly focused on delivering the workshops in your local community.

This will be a mix of online and in-person training and will provide you with all the resources, knowledge and tools you need to deliver your first workshop.

Find a suitable venue

Finding a suitable venue will be really important. You’ll need somewhere comfortable and creative with flexible capacity for the group you’d like to cater for. Some places where a Fighting Words workshop could work really well are:

• A local library
• An art gallery / museum
• A community centre / hall
• A local college / art-school

There are no strict rules but finding a place that has a creative, open and relaxed atmosphere will set the right tone for your workshop. It’s crucial that you find a venue at little or no cost so that you can provide the workshop to local children for free. When asking for the use of the venue, remember to ask on behalf of the kids who will get the enjoyment and benefit from the Fighting Words workshop.

Recruit some volunteers

Once you’ve completed your training and you have a venue you’ll need a small team of volunteers to help you deliver the workshops. The number of volunteers will depend on the number of kids in your workshops as well as the frequency of workshops.

Fighting Words HQ will provide you with some guidance on recruiting and training volunteers.

 

What kind of people volunteer at Fighting Words?

People from all walks of life - including professional writers, aspiring writers, teachers, student teachers, retired teachers, journalists, visual artists, musicians and filmmakers - just to name a few.

What skills do volunteers need?

Anyone who enjoys working in a creative environment and is a good listener is a welcome volunteer.

What kind of commitment is needed?

This will depend on the number and frequency of workshops provided.

Is training provided?

Yes, training will be provided by Fighting Words HQ