ESSEX WRITERS HOUSE 2026: Open Advice Sessions with Camilla Balshaw

We are offering free 1:1 sessions for writers, creatives and artists who live and/or work within our local areas. They will be led by you and what you would like to discuss. Sessions may include:

• Discussing your creative practice or writing
• Talking through a project idea
• Advice or sign posting to different funding routes or opportunities
• Building relationships with different organisations, voluntary groups, partners or venues
• Budget development or reading draft applications

We’re offering these sessions in person at Chalkwell Hall, as well as the option to discuss your work with us online. There is one session available per artist and the slots are 1 hour long.
If you would like for your session to be online, please contact us directly via phone or email to confirm and we will arrange a video link.

Who is the offer for?

Our Open Advice Sessions are open to writers artists and creatives working in any artform, at any stage of their career. Individuals, collaborations or collectives can book a slot.
Any artist that has previously booked a slot with us won’t be eligible this time.

You must live or work in, or have a strong connection to South Essex (Basildon, Brentwood, Castle Point, Rochford, Southend-on-Sea, Thurrock)

About the Southend team:

In Southend, we have a wide range of expertise and practices from art history, museums and heritage, to fashion and video art. We have strong skills around project management, event production and between us, a thorough understanding of the creative ecosystem in South Essex. We are interested in supporting projects and ideas which have a strong social and/or social justice purpose and are interested in broadening diversity in the sector. We have skills around participatory practice and co-design and are keen to support practitioners in building connections with the wider community. We are able to offer a range of support from funding applications and business planning to connecting and marketing. Learn more about our Southend site and our access in the space here.

About Camilla Balshaw

Camilla Balshaw is an award-winning author. She has been published in numerous journals, and her essays have featured in the Guardian, Therapy Today and the Observer. Camilla’s debut memoir, Named: A Story Of Names And Reclaiming Who We Are (2025), has been described by Diana Evans as a ‘valuable meditation on the origins of what we call ourselves, packed full of rich storytelling’ and by Bonnie Burke-Patel as an ‘utterly fascinating, insightful and meaningful memoir.’ In 2025, Namedwon the best Memoir & Biography category in the East Anglian Book Awards.

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