Q&A with Sian Prime

RWC Chair Siân Prime on how she sees the future of the Circle

“Writers need a space to have a conversation about their work that takes it from an internalised process to sharing it”

Siân Prime, arts sector veteran and chair of Real Writers Circle, describes her vision for our writing community.

Q. Siân, tell us about your current post as co-director of Goldsmith University’s Institute for Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship.

I’ve worked in the arts for most of my professional career. About twenty years ago, I shifted focus from being a producer and funding artists to helping expand their commercial knowledge. People always say that artists aren’t good with numbers or money. I think the opposite is true: they are too good at making too little go too far and often give too much money away to other artists they’re working with. I wanted to help creatives take a step back from looking at funding project-by-project and instead take a longer term, more sustainable view. 

At Goldsmith’s most of the students are engaged in some kind of creative practice and a huge proportion will graduate and become self-employed creatives of some kind. To support them, I’ve developed an MA in Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship, as well as other modules that encourage students across degrees from Fine Art to Visual Anthropology to develop their entrepreneurial thinking and business models, map and  navigate their industry, and know their worth.

Q. What was it like to take the hotseat and speak to the Circle about cultural entrepreneurialism? 

I was nervous. Knowing the right vocabulary to use isn’t easy when you’re discussing commerce with creatives. Some artists switch off; others want more detail. But RWC evenings are carefully facilitated, which meant I knew how to talk to my audience. 

Spending the evening with the Circle really confirmed to me how much writers need a space to have a conversation about their work that takes it from an internalised process to sharing it - whatever stage it’s at. I saw from the hotseat that it’s easier to start that conversation in a group. Writers can get better about talking about their work with each other before they talk one-to-one with an agent, publisher or editor. 

Q. What impact do you think the Circle has on writers and their work?

Coming out and meeting people as a writer and using that label for yourself is really affirming in terms of confidence in a place where everyone else is saying, yes, I’m a writer too. The Circle breaks isolation, which is a key reason people stop their creative practice. And it’s an appropriate place for receiving peer feedback, for improving your craft, and hearing how your work lands with an audience. 

Q. How is RWC different from other writer resources? 

Many writing courses or retreats are about ringfencing focused time. The Circle isn’t about that. It’s a carefully curated conversation about writing, developing your skills, and learning about the publishing industry. There’s no hierarchy, which is very rare in an educational setting. And writers are in control of the feedback they receive. There’s a tenderness in the interactions between writers in the room.

Attendance at an RWC event is priced affordably so writers can come consistently. That’s key for building community. Arts-focussed organisations can become exploitative, using people’s time, energy and creative skills for free. Founded by writers, everyone who works for RWC is a paid creative, which is important. It signals our commitment to writers and the incredibly valuable contribution they make to our national cultural life.

Q. You’re our Chair, which is exciting for us. Why is that exciting for you?

I lead a board of trustees who have literally been entrusted to shape the vision of this new organisation and make it come true. I have chaired several charities where the strategy and funding avenues were well established, but never one at such an early stage of its evolution. Steering RWC appeals to my sense of curiosity, exploration and start-up spirit. We’re at the beginning of an adventure that needs shepherding in a delicate way because what we do in the next three years will impact the charity’s identity and the support it can offer writers. 

Q. Where is RWC headed over the next three years?

Right now, it’s really tough in arts education and funding. I’m having discussions today with government ministers, policymakers, funders and educationalists that I thought we’d answered 30 years ago. In this context, the Circle is even more important because it’s a model for writer support outside of the traditional education system. 

Our format – connecting, hearing from an expert and sharing work, all the while learning from each other –  works. That’s been proven in Brighton, and also with a totally new audience in York, where we hosted an event during the literature festival. Now we’re interested in scaling our model to engage with more writers and positively impact their work, while ensuring our structure is financially robust and we remain true to our values.