Speeechwriting: Crafting you speech for a special occasion

Writing a speech for a special occasion can feel daunting for many people. Where do you even start? This workshop will explore the ways you can approach the task of writing a speech using age-old rhetorical devices from some of theatre’s greatest speech writers, from Shakespeare to Brian Friel. Using the structure and tone of great theatrical speeches as a jumping off point, this workshop will offer practical tips that will make the process of writing a speech for a special occasion one that will get to the heart of what you want to say. Whether intending to motivate, to challenge, to inform or to unify, carefully pitched content empowers us to communicate with our audience in a deeper way. This half-day workshop will give participants the chance to find their own unique, writer’s voice, experiment with different narrative structures, and explore a variety of tones and styles to make their speeches pitch-perfect. In the end, each participant will be armed with the tools to write a speech that suits the occasion and that conveys their intentions with warmth, humour and humanity. The workshop combines group work with individual coaching and feedback.