Lighthouse Writers Workshop is the largest literary arts center in the Rocky Mountain West. Our mission is to provide the highest caliber of artistic education, support, and community for writers and readers in the Rocky Mountain Region and beyond. To achieve that mission, we’ve offered free, collaborative, community engagement programs throughout Colorado for more than 20 years, getting people writing and helping them share those stories in surprising, joyful ways.
Lighthouse’s engagement philosophy is perhaps best summed up by the author Richard Rhodes, who says that “writing is a form of making, and making humanizes the world.” We believe that writing is one of the most valuable and vibrant forms of making—because its sole material is language, our most common means to connect with one another.
Hard Times
In partnership with local libraries, Hard Times Writing Workshops provide community and a creative outlet for people who have recently experienced or are currently experiencing poverty, addiction, homelessness, and other hard situations.
Writing with Cancer
In partnership with UCHealth and CAMP, Writing with Cancer workshops are open to those diagnosed with cancer and their caregivers. These workshops focus on generating new creative writing and also include discussions of language, the basics of craft, elements of story, and the value of having a writing practice. Participants are encouraged to connect with others in the group and to write often and freely on any subject they choose, relying on the belief that creative expression is a powerful way to help cope with the myriad emotions of a cancer diagnosis.
Write to Connect
Thanks to the generosity of the Arts in Society Grant, in collaboration with local social service organizations, Write to Connect offers multi-week creative writing workshops for front-line staff, who are compensated to attend. Led by experienced Lighthouse faculty, these workshops offer a space for participants to engage with the literary arts to process their experiences–including highs and lows; triumphs and traumas–and build connections and camaraderie with others.
Veterans
Lighthouse is honored to have Writership funds available specifically for veterans, made possible through the generous support of Prevent & Prevail. To qualify for this funding, indicate your veteran status when you apply for Writership tuition assistance.
Lighthouse also hosts annual multi-week writing workshops in partnership with the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center. These workshops are designed to help veterans learn new writing forms, find a creative community, and build on their current skills in poetry, short stories, essays, and more.
C.O.R.A.L.
Colorado Resiliency Arts Lab (CORAL) is one of a handful of research labs supported by the National Endowment for the Arts. We encourage healthcare providers to find a creative outlet and establish a sense of community through the arts. By creating a more engaged workforce, we can support healthcare professionals in their efforts to improve patient outcomes, enhance patient and family satisfaction, and reduce healthcare costs.
Anthology
The poems, stories, and art created in these workshops are a powerful examination of what community is and how literature helps to create and nurture it. We hope you enjoy this work, created by amazing individuals, most of whom come together on a weekly basis to find camaraderie, community, and dignity through the act of creative writing.
All the Lives We Ever Lived: A Lighthouse Writers Workshop Community Anthology, Volume 1 was a finalist for the Colorado Book Award.
Community Program Survey
Have you recently participated in a Lighthouse Community Program (i.e. Hard Times, Writing with Cancer, etc.)? We want to hear your feedback! Our Community Program survey is anonymous and takes just a couple of minutes to complete.