Some of our Year 10 and 11 girls have been working on ‘Timelapse’ – a creative writing collaboration between NHEHS and Harrow School. 

Students from both schools were allocated groups to work together to write, edit and collate a series of short pieces of writing. At the end, these will then all be combined into a journal to be shared in both schools.

Firstly, each group chose one photograph that they had seen during lockdown. This was to be the springboard for the pieces of writing. The copyright free image could be of a popular tourist location, such as an empty Trafalgar Square, or something more local, like an empty high street. 

Once the image had been chosen, each group then had to produce three pieces of writing inspired by the photograph. One set in the past, one in the present and one in the future and each piece of writing no longer than 1000 words. The form could take whatever the students preferred – poetry, prose or drama.  Each piece could be told from the same person’s perspective, from the perspective of an inanimate object or taking a more descriptive slant – all to be discussed within the group, with no bounds on creativity!

After each member of the group had produced a first draft of their piece, these were sent to the rest of the group to read and help with the editing.  In the launch meeting (5th June), there were opportunities to speak in  the groups about students’ initial ideas and inspiration, with a firm decision on choosing the group’s springboard image and who was to write about the past, present and future made by June 10th. 

The first draft piece of writing was shared and discussed with the groups last week, with the final version of the three pieces submitted to Miss Silvester (NHEHS) and Mrs Ashe (Harrow School) by June 29th.

We look forward to seeing the final results shortly!