We are tentacles!✨
Tentacles was born from a need for safe, inclusive writing spaces for disabled people in the UK. What began in 2015 as an idea in Neal’s mind has grown—through collaboration, community, and creativity—into a thriving project.
Our definition of disability is expansive and self-identifying. Tentacles is for anyone who considers themself to be chronically ill, neurodiverse and/or disabled with an interest in writing!
After almost a year of courses crafted by our community, we reach our LAST in-person course of 2026...this is not one to miss!
Experience new course content led by our team of wonderful facilitators from our community. These poetry workshops are for anyone who considers themself to be d/Deaf, disabled, neurodivergent and/or chronically ill.
We meet with the same cohort each week, for 4-weeks, to explore new ways of expressing yourself through poetry.
Our upcoming course dates are:
6th May 6-7.30pm
13th May 6-7.30pm
20th May 6-7.30pm
27th May 6-7.30pm
Link in the bio to book onto this in-person course at Nottingham Central Library. Pay what you can!
⭐In person at Nottingham Central Library
⭐4-Week Cohort Writing Course
⭐For disabled writers
⭐Wednesday evenings from 6th May
Next month we're welcoming the wonderful CJ DeBarra for creative writing masterclass 'Between the lines: Creative Non-Fiction and Lived Experience as a disabled writer'. This masterclass for anyone who considers themself to be d/Deaf, disabled, neurodivergent and/or chronically ill.
This session explores creative approaches to writing about lived experience, particularly through creative non-fiction and autofiction.
Author and journalist, Cj De Barra, will examine how writers can transform personal experience, especially around disability, neurodivergence and queerness, into engaging, thoughtful narratives.
💫25th April, 12pm at Nottingham Central Library and Online
Spring is coming with a strawberry in the mouth (our Course 2!)...
Join us *online* from the 25th March to explore poetry in a carefully crafted environment for Disabled writers. All levels are welcome!
Experience new course content led by our team of wonderful faciliators from our community.
We operate a pay-what-you-can ticket system so everyone is able to attend no matter what your financial situation is!
We hope to see you there!
⭐Online
⭐4-Week Cohort Writing Course
⭐For disabled writers
⭐Wednesday evenings from 25th March
🥒🚨NEW BLOG ALERT🚨🥒
Read an update about zines, joy and new courses!
/post/the-tentickle-zine
Our next course is in person at Nottingham Central Library and it starts *next week* 😯
Book tickets here: /e/tentacles-in-person-poetry-workshops-course-1-tickets-1979513945498
#blog #writing #poetry #disability #courses
Tentacles are back!
We're kicking off the year with our in-person version of Course 1 kindly hosted at Nottingham Central Library.
These facilitated poetry workshops are for anyone who considers themself to be d/Deaf, disabled, neurodivergent and/or chronically ill.
We meet with the same cohort each week, for 4-weeks, to explore new ways of expressing yourself through poetry.
Our upcoming course dates are:
4th Feb 6-7.30pm
11th Feb 6-7.30pm
18th Feb 6-7.30pm
25th Feb 7-7.30pm
Link in the bio to book onto this in-person course at Nottingham Central Library. Pay what you can!
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Did you know we have a blog? Want to learn more about who we are and what we do?
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Excerpt from August's reflections on the Summer Taster sessions...
'August is over and it’s raining outside my window. These last couple of weeks have left me feeling grateful, excited and contemplative. Both Neal and I are August babies, so celebrated our birthdays as well as running our summer taster sessions, in advance of our full poetry courses, in the latter half of the month. I’ve never really been big on birthdays, not because of a fear of mortality or growing vulnerability-I think being disabled in this world makes you stare those realities in the face far more frequently than once a year- but more a general apathy towards date significance....'
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Have a nosy around our wonderful website over at tentaclescollective.co.uk to read more.
"Last week saw the end of our first 4 week course with the group working on editing exercises. It's bitter sweet to say goodbye to our weekly sessions with this cohort, who have been funny and vulnerable and shared some incredible writing over the month. Creating community is a slow act of collective love. It's filled with people unmuting just to cheer and woo other people's work. It's showing up how you can when you can and sharing what you've got without needing to perform more or 'better'. I'm so proud of the work people created during this course and I hope I get to hear so much more from everyone involved." - August from Team Tentacles
If you like the sound of our work and want to get involved, check out our upcoming masterclass with Lottie Mills exploring short stories. For more information follow the link in the bio to our eventbrite page!
See you there🦑🖋
After a fantastic 4-weeks with our Autumn cohort, we're back in December with an exciting new Short Story Masterclass led by Lottie Mills🎉
Come and learn how to craft beautiful language and evocative details into a powerful short story, harnessing mythology and folklore to create your own haunting modern fairytale. Reclaim familiar folktales to create a powerful exploration of difference!
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This masterclass is led by Lottie Mills, who is the author of Monstrum, which was longlisted for the International Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize 2025.
📌Where? Online and In-person at Nottingham Central Library
📆When? 6th December, 11.30am-2.30pm
🦑Link to your ticket in the bio!
Workshops for days!
Links to join our Autumn poetry course in the bio.
Our 4 week writing course is for disabled writers of all levels. These sessions will be online starting Monday 20th!
Facilitated by fantastic August of Team Tentacles, you won't want to miss this one 🤩
After a successful Summer Taster course, we are back with our first block of poetry workshops for Disabled writers!🌟
Join Tentacles for our Autumn series of online facilitated poetry workshops for anyone who considers themself to be d/Deaf, disabled, neurodivergent and/or chronically ill.
Work on developing your poetic voice and honing your craft in this series of online poetry workshops. Meet with the same cohort each week, for 4-weeks, to explore new ways of expressing yourself through poetry.
Our course dates are:
20th Oct 7-8.30pm
27th Oct 7-8.30pm
3rd Nov 7-8.30pm
10th Nov 7-8.30pm
Link in the bio to book onto this online course. Pay what you can!
🔥We look forward to writing with you!
📃Come and create in community! Write poetry in this series of facilitated workshops for disabled writers. All levels welcome.
Join Tentacles for a new series of facilitated poetry workshops for anyone who considers themself to be d/Deaf, disabled, neurodivergent and/or chronically ill.
Work on developing your poetic voice and honing your craft in this series of poetry workshops, offered both in person and online.
The workshops will be led by Neal Pike and August Stone, with guided writing exercises and opportunity to share work.
FREE Summer Taster 2025 course dates:
Thursday 21st August
Thursday 28th August
📍Nottingham Playhouse/Online
LINK TO BOOK YOUR FREE PLACE IN THE BIO
