Arts Reviewing for Creatives of Colour with Aisha Josiah – 13th November 2021

This workshop is designed to introduce participants to a fundamental form of arts journalism: reviewing. Writers of colour are currently underrepresented in the field of arts criticism; this is detrimental to minority artists, whose work is often overlooked and misunderstood by established critics who lack contextual knowledge. It’s also a missed opportunity for emerging writers, who can enrich their creative practice and develop their professional profile through exposure to new work.

This session aims to encourage writers with any level of experience to delve into arts criticism. As a playwright and editor of Fringebiscuit, a review platform that has covered the Edinburgh Fringe and other theatre festivals since 2010, I’m a proponent of making arts journalism more accessible — especially at a time when theatre, film, music, dance, performance, and visual art have never been more available to the average person.

The session will cover the following areas:

1. Setting up as a reviewer: Paths into the industry.
2. Skill development: What makes a good review?
3. Types of reviews: Traditional and alternative models.
4. Reviewing ethics: How to become (and stay) reputable.
5. Reviewing as a creative: Incorporating reviewing into your practice.
6. Hands-on workshop: Writing a review in real-time.

The workshop will last 90 minutes with opportunities for participants to ask questions and get feedback.