YORK company Six Lips Theatre are to run a creative writing group at the New Earswick Folk Hall, York, from Friday.

After making a successful grant application to the New Earswick Residence Forum, Six Lips will host six months of free workshops in the Meeting Room every Friday from 2.30pm to 4.30pm.

"The workshops will be divided into two projects, each taking place over three months," says Six Lips' Roxanna Klimaszewska. "The first three months will result in an illustrated booklet containing a selection of the participants' creative work, with the historic village of New Earswick as the stimulus.

"Participants will take regular research sessions walking around the village, responding to the architecture, the nature reserves and the residences, talking to and interviewing willing members of the community. We'll respond to exploring different forms of creative writing such as poetry, haikus, prose, short stories and playwriting."

A selection of the work, shortlisted by the group, will be published in a booklet to be distributed to New Earswick households. "An artist will be commissioned to illustrate it in a fun, colourful and accessible way, so that the booklet can be enjoyed by everyone in the village, old and young," says Roxanna.

Excerpts from the booklet can be displayed as weather-proof posters on noticeboards throughout the village to enable visitors to find out more about New Earswick and its community.

In the second three months, Six Lips will work towards creating two plays, one for the primary school and the other for the secondary school in the village. "We'll look at age-appropriate and key stage-appropriate themes, styles and genres while creating fun and imaginative shows that tell the history of the Quaker village," says Roxanna.

"The aim of the two texts is that they will function as a creative, educative practice for the children in producing the play, and be of interest to the relatives, friends and families of the performers, who come to see the play."

To book a workshop place, phone 07500 069412or just pop into a session.