Training Course Calendar

The AQR runs a number of training courses throughout the year, open to both members and non-members. The Standard Price for all training courses includes a twelve month subscription to the AQR for the named delegate. These courses prove very popular and early booking is advised.

Creative writing for qual researchers: booking has opened

Inky tips
Stop now with the ploddy prose. Go on, we dare you. Get in touch with your inner nib and come spend the day hearing about creative writing, talking about creative writing and surprise surprise, doing some creative writing.

This is not a course that will lead you by the nose to write a better debrief or sharpen up your proposals…it will be up to you to apply what you experience to those millions of words we qualitative researchers churn out a year.

This is a chance to spend a day being charged up by creativity. The day will involve at least four experts who will tell us about what and why they do what they do and they’ll make us put our biros where our brains are and write, write, write.

His (and her) nibs
This is a course for anyone who writes hundreds of emails, proposals and debriefs a year but thinks they may have a well of creativity inside them that they’ve allowed to go a bit dry. It’s for people who love words but who’ve forgotten how to use the great ones in the midst of all the average ones. It’s for anyone who wants to spend the day hanging out with a bunch of other people who just want to write better.

Fountain pens of all knowledge
Joanna Pocock, MA graduated with honours from Bath Spa University’s Creative Writing Masters. Her collection of short stories Blue Suburban Skies won the Peters, Fraser Dunlop award for the most promising manuscript to come out of a British University that year. She has taught Genre Fiction at Bath Spa University, Life Writing at Roehampton University, and for the past ten years she has run a Creative Writing course at Central St Martins in London.
Jonathan Wakeham has worked as a consultant to many of the world's top entertainment companies, including Disney, Discovery, the BBC, ITV, Freeview, SeeSaw and Nickelodeon. He also worked as a planner at St Luke's, back when it was cool. He's currently adapting Paul Watkins' novel The Story Of My Disappearance for Sarah Radclyffe Productions. When he grows up he wants to be Andrew Graham-Dixon.
Robert Bain is features editor of Research, the world’s biggest market research magazine. He’s been reporting and commenting on the industry for the past four years. His responsibilities include generating ideas and writing and editing articles for the monthly print magazine and website. Before joining Research, Robert cut his journalistic teeth as a news reporter in the Bahamas, where he wrote about hurricanes, coral reefs and carnivals, and even got to interview Sean Connery
Nick Southgate has a PhD in personal identity and this poacher has turned gamekeeper and has devised the enormously popular ‘How to be Cool’ course at the School of Life (where he also runs the ‘Work’ course. Check it out.) He has worked as a planner at Ogilvy, Cogent Elliott, dfgw and Grey. He's the IPA's Behavioural Economics Consultant and he writes for The Wire about music and for The Evening Standard's School of Life's 'Life Class' column.

And the small print?
Tuesday April 13th 2010
9:30-5:30pm

Early bird booking discount (by 31st March 2010) payment must also be made by 31st March to receive this special discount
£170 + VAT for AQR members and £300 + VAT for non AQR members.

After 31st March 2010
£195 + VAT for AQR members and £325 + VAT for non AQR members

The course has been devised by Chloë Fowler of Razor Research. Chloë is a member of the AQR committee and although she’s not a journalist, blogger, poet, doesn’t have a PhD and isn’t that cool, she is passionate about creative writing and has attended the odd writing course herself. Call her if you’ve got any questions about the day, 07771 610 765.

Venue: Wallacespace St Pancras

Wallacespaces in Covent Garden and St Pancras are environments designed to help people think better and more creatively. They understand how better thinking delivers directly to the bottom line. They know that where you think influences how you think. They have light, bright, airy modern spaces that look good and you want to spend time in. Homely and comfortable, relaxed and not impersonal or corporate.

Covent Garden – 18 rooms for 2 – 90 people (150 for parties and receptions)

St Pancras – 12 rooms for 2 -120 people (200 for parties and receptions)

020 73951265 ask@wallacespace.com www.wallacespace.com

Venue: WallaceSpace, st Pancras, London WC1H
Date: 13 April 2010
Standard Price: £325 + VAT [BOOK ONLINE]
Member's Price: £170+VAT [BOOK ONLINE]
Map: [Click Here]

 

This is a 2 day non residential workshop with a lecture element, writing discussion guides and hands on moderating experience.

Convened by Ruth Preston, Peppermint with 3 experienced tutors:

This workshop is suitable for a wide range of delegates including: Practising qualitative researchers with under one year’s experience; Quantitative researchers wishing to participate in qualitative research; Anyone wishing to become more familiar with qualitative research methods in a practical way. This course isn’t as suitable for those who: Won’t ever conduct qualitative research; Are experienced in running groups;

The workshop is mainly practical with some theoretical elements. Three elements will interplay to achieve delegate development: Skills will be built by seminar sessions including team work and taught elements; Skills will be practiced within the team via depth interviews and group discussions; Throughout group interaction will be used to share experiences and build confidence and skills.

Workshop Goals: Understand moderators role; Understand moderation process for groups and depths; Experience in moderating; Skills and ideas in dealing with a variety of moderation experiences.

Delegates will be in 4 syndicate groups with each group having their own tutor. Case studies will be allocated to each of the groups. Each delegate will receive comprehensive handouts.

The cost also includes all refreshments and lunch during the 2 days.

Comments from previous workshops:

“fantastic, informative, tools to do a very good job better”

“very good and practical. I want to do more!”

“I have learned so much, the course is very motivating”

“it’s a very good introduction to focus group moderating”

“It is a good practical two days and worthwhile”

“highly beneficial and very effective”

“Value for money and very practically relevant”

“A great introduction that assumed no prior knowledge”

“Very interesting, varied and good experience”

Cost TBC guide: AQR Members £355 + VAT Non members £485 + VAT

Venue: Spectrum 25 Gloucester Place, London W1U 8HT
Date: 27 & 28 May 2010
Time: 9 - 5 each day
Admisison: Maximum of 24 delegates
Standard Price: £485+VAT [BOOK ONLINE]
Member's Price: £355+VAT [BOOK ONLINE]
Map: [Click Here]