# Event Details - **Event Name**: ESSEX WRITERS HOUSE 2026: Open Advice Sessions with Camilla Balshaw - **Event Start and End Date**: Wed, 24 Jun, 2026 at 10:00 am – Wed, 24 Jun, 2026 at 05:30 pm - **Event Description**: Come along to one of our artist advice sessions for artists, with the Metal Southend team and special guest writer Camilla BalshawAbout this EventWe 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 writingTalking through a project ideaAdvice or sign posting to different funding routes or opportunitiesBuilding relationships with different organisations, voluntary groups, partners or venuesBudget development or reading draft applicationsWe’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 BalshawCamilla 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. https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events3/banners/e84b7ab0-6a98-11f1-b387-ab66cbeeb1fa-rimg-w1200-h227-dcffffff-gmir.jpg - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/southend-on-sea/essex-writers-house-2026-open-advice-sessions-with-camilla-balshaw/100001989206156161 - **Event Categories**: art, literary-art, health-wellness, meditation, storytelling - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 0 - **Event Highlights**: - Duration: 7 hours 30 minutes - Location: Metal Culture - Southend - Languages: English ## Ticket Details - **Ticket Price Range**: min: 0, max: 0, currency: GBP ## Event venue details - **city**: Southend-on-Sea - **state**: EN - **country**: United Kingdom - **location**: Metal Culture - Southend - **lat**: 51.5442123 - **long**: 0.6775899999999998 - **full address**: Metal Culture - Southend, Chalkwell Avenue, Southend-on-Sea, United Kingdom ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: ESSEX WRITERS HOUSE 2026: Open Advice Sessions with Camilla Balshaw - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events9/banners/80fc962793238a5885f0825e9c3a4f8d508213da4b181254b6f6e44d7718c676-rimg-w1200-h600-dc91bea9-gmir.jpg?v=1779148033 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is ESSEX WRITERS HOUSE 2026: Open Advice Sessions with Camilla Balshaw being held? - **A:** ESSEX WRITERS HOUSE 2026: Open Advice Sessions with Camilla Balshaw takes place on Wed, 24 Jun, 2026 at 10:00 am to Wed, 24 Jun, 2026 at 05:30 pm at Metal Culture - Southend, Chalkwell Avenue, Southend-on-Sea, United Kingdom. - **Q**: Who is organizing ESSEX WRITERS HOUSE 2026: Open Advice Sessions with Camilla Balshaw? - **A:** ESSEX WRITERS HOUSE 2026: Open Advice Sessions with Camilla Balshaw is organized by Metal. - **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me? - **A:** ESSEX WRITERS HOUSE 2026: Open Advice Sessions with Camilla Balshaw is ideal for curious learners, students, and skill-builders looking to gain hands-on knowledge and practical expertise in a focused, interactive setting. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in Southend-on-Sea, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. If ESSEX WRITERS HOUSE 2026: Open Advice Sessions with Camilla Balshaw sounds like your kind of event, don't wait - spots fill up fast. ## Structured Data (JSON-LD) ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Event", "name": "ESSEX WRITERS HOUSE 2026: Open Advice Sessions with Camilla Balshaw", "image": "https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events9/banners/80fc962793238a5885f0825e9c3a4f8d508213da4b181254b6f6e44d7718c676-rimg-w1200-h600-dc91bea9-gmir.jpg?v=1779148033", "startDate": "2026-06-24", "endDate": "2026-06-24", "url": "https://allevents.in/southend-on-sea/essex-writers-house-2026-open-advice-sessions-with-camilla-balshaw/100001989206156161", "location": { "@type": "Place", "name": "Metal Culture - Southend", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "Chalkwell Avenue", "postalCode": "SS0 8NB", "addressLocality": "Southend-on-Sea", "addressRegion": "EN", "addressCountry": "GB" }, "geo": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": "51.5442123", "longitude": "0.6775899999999998" } }, "eventAttendanceMode": "https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceMode", "description": "Come along to one of our artist advice sessions for artists, with the Metal Southend team and special guest writer Camilla Balshaw", "offers": [ { "@type": "AggregateOffer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "GBP", "availabilityStarts": "2026-09-08", "availabilityEnds": "2026-06-24", "validFrom": "2026-09-08", "lowPrice": "0.00", "highPrice": "0.00", "price": "0.00", "url": "https://allevents.in/southend-on-sea/essex-writers-house-2026-open-advice-sessions-with-camilla-balshaw/100001989206156161" }, { "@type": "Offer", "availability": "https://schema.org/SoldOut", "priceCurrency": "GBP", "availabilityStarts": "2026-09-08", "availabilityEnds": "", "validFrom": "2026-09-08", "url": "https://allevents.in/southend-on-sea/essex-writers-house-2026-open-advice-sessions-with-camilla-balshaw/100001989206156161", "price": 0, "name": "10am - 11am" }, { "@type": "Offer", "availability": "https://schema.org/SoldOut", "priceCurrency": "GBP", "availabilityStarts": "2026-09-08", "availabilityEnds": "", "validFrom": "2026-09-08", "url": "https://allevents.in/southend-on-sea/essex-writers-house-2026-open-advice-sessions-with-camilla-balshaw/100001989206156161", "price": 0, "name": "11:30am - 12:30pm" }, { "@type": "Offer", "availability": "https://schema.org/SoldOut", "priceCurrency": "GBP", "availabilityStarts": "2026-09-08", "availabilityEnds": "", "validFrom": "2026-09-08", "url": "https://allevents.in/southend-on-sea/essex-writers-house-2026-open-advice-sessions-with-camilla-balshaw/100001989206156161", "price": 0, "name": "1.30pm - 2.30pm" }, { "@type": "Offer", "availability": "https://schema.org/SoldOut", "priceCurrency": "GBP", "availabilityStarts": "2026-09-08", "availabilityEnds": "", "validFrom": "2026-09-08", "url": "https://allevents.in/southend-on-sea/essex-writers-house-2026-open-advice-sessions-with-camilla-balshaw/100001989206156161", "price": 0, "name": "3pm - 4pm" }, { "@type": "Offer", "availability": "https://schema.org/SoldOut", "priceCurrency": "GBP", "availabilityStarts": "2026-09-08", "availabilityEnds": "", "validFrom": "2026-09-08", "url": "https://allevents.in/southend-on-sea/essex-writers-house-2026-open-advice-sessions-with-camilla-balshaw/100001989206156161", "price": 0, "name": "4.30pm - 5.30pm" } ], "organizer": [ { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Metal", "url": "https://allevents.in/org/metal/22559212", "description": "Metal is an artistic laboratory who champion the need for artistic innovation in the UK and provide practical support to artists of all genres. 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