The Imagining Worlds workshop offers a brief survey of dramatic literature (plays), including modern 20th century plays and contemporary 21st century plays. Participants are asked to respond creatively to each of these readings, engaging their senses and intuition. They are given an introduction to the building blocks of theatre, play reading and playwriting so that they may build a foundation of knowledge for how to critically read and respond to plays. We hope students will be able to apply these concepts to their own creative work, beyond the scope of dramatic literature.
This course also supports participants in developing critical life skills such as reading and analyzing complex texts, putting their intuitive and affective responses to creative texts into language, writing critically and creatively, committing to a long-term goal, and solving problems independently.
Imagining Worlds culminates with a selection of the students' original plays printed in an anthology that will be gifted to them and made available to the public, as well as featured in DU PAI's fall virtual showcase.
The Tell It Slant: Reading & Writing Creative Nonfiction workshop offers an exploration of creative nonfiction, one of the fastest-growing forms of writing in literature. Creative nonfiction can be an essay, a journal article, a research paper, a memoir, a recipe or a poem; it can be personal or not, or it can be any or all of these combined.
Because creative writing involves both creativity and scholarship, coursework includes critical analysis of student and published writing; forming aesthetic judgments about creative nonfiction; writing and revising creative nonfiction; form and technique in creative nonfiction; and responding to the creative work of classmates in a writing community.
Tell It Slant will support participants in developing critical life skills such as reading and analyzing complex texts, putting their intuitive and affective responses to creative texts into language, writing critically and creatively, committing to a long-term goal and solving problems independently.
The DU Prison Arts Initiative works closely with the University of Denver’s college of continuing and professional studies, University College, to explore possibilities for collaboration. Within University College, the Center for Professional Development (CPD) is designed to help lifelong learners develop new skills and refresh existing proficiencies so students can advance their careers. DU PAI is pleased to announce that for the first time, the course Tell It Slant: Reading & Writing Creative Nonfiction will be eligible for Continuing Education Units (CEUs). Continuing Education Units are transcripted, non-credit bearing units that we hope to continue to offer to participants for culmination in a professional certificate signed by the dean of University College. CEUs help participants provide evidence of learning for college and employment applications. We’re inspired to be working with these partners at DU that are passionate about making learning accessible to all, and hope our collaboration with University College and the Center for Professional Development continues to expand and deepen.
Learning to See Through Drawing offers participants the opportunity to learn or build upon basic drawing skills to explore how the activity of drawing both changes how we see the world and offers opportunities for self-expression. This course is available to those with minimal drawing experience or extensive drawing experience—all are welcome to explore these drawing techniques and reflective processes.
Each week, participants are introduced to new drawing concepts, including contour lines, line weight, value, contrast, gradation, perspective, color theory and more. Students explore still-life subjects, interiors, portraiture and abstraction, and they are guided through this process via video lectures and information provided in course packets. Additionally, each week participants are asked to reflect on their process of drawing and creation through prompted journaling. Participants are also asked to explore the topics in this class further by completing readings and assignments.
This course is meant to provide space for exploration of the self and the students' surroundings in a way that feels comfortable. Assignments and reflections can be taken literally or figuratively, but all ask participants to engage in focused and deep-seeing self-reflection and self-expression. This course supports students in developing and practicing self-awareness, emotional expression, creativity and hands-on artistic skills.
A mural of Learning to See Through Drawing exercises were showcased at the DU Community Commons Gallery in September 2021.
