The Gathering ARC - How to Give and Receive Feedback in Writing Groups

Sunday 19 April 2026. ARC Studio Bellingen, NSW
Sharing your writing can be one of the most vulnerable parts of the creative process. Reading aloud, receiving critique, and offering feedback all require sensitivity, structure, and trust. The Gathering ARC is a full‑day workshop designed to help writers navigate this terrain with confidence and care.

What to bring

Notebook or laptop
BYO Lunch

Morning Session - Foundations of the CARES Approach (10.00am–12.00pm)

The morning session introduces the CARES Approach:

Choice
Accountability
Relationship
Empowerment
Safety

These principles offer a grounded, compassionate framework for giving and receiving feedback in writing groups. We explore why feedback can feel confronting, how unconscious bias and judgement can creep in, and what it takes to create a circle where writers feel genuinely supported rather than criticised. You’ll learn how to keep both reader and listener engaged, safe, and respected throughout the process.

Afternoon Session: Feedback in Practice (12.30pm–3.30pm)

In the afternoon, bring 2,000 words of your current work‑in‑progress.

You’ll have the opportunity to:

Share your writing in a supportive environment
Receive feedback that is useful, specific, and aligned with your goals
Practise offering feedback using the CARES method
Explore challenges around direction, clarity, or readability
Connect with other writers and strengthen your creative community

You’ll leave with fresh insights, renewed confidence, and clear next steps for your writing journey. While the CARES approach can be applied to any group setting, this workshop focuses specifically on writing groups and the unique dynamics they hold.

Investment

$75.00 + $4.39 booking fee

100% refund available up until one day before workshop.

Hosted By

Hosted by AE Grantham, a social worker who specialises in using writing as a therapeutic tool and is a lifelong lover of all things literary. AE brings deep experience in creating safe, trauma‑aware, and strength‑based group spaces where creativity can unfold without pressure or judgement. She is a trainer for Lifeline and Gender and Disaster, and currently works in equity and diversity within the education sector. Her facilitation style is warm, grounded, and supportive, offering participants a space where their voices and stories are genuinely welcomed.

Contact the host of The Gathering ARC - How to give and recieve feedback in a writing group

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