Over the last few years there has been an increasing demand for Clare to appear at conferences, universities, groups and organisations and give various talks on certain subjects that she has been writing about. All her talks contain theatrical segments from the relevant plays and films to which they relate. Bookings for Clare’s talks can also contain a screening of the relevant DVD of each project.

Hate Crimes

After being commissioned by the Metropolitan Police and Age Concern to write and produce the film “Queens’ Evidence” (about the relationship between the police and older LGBT people, looking at why there is there a low rate of reporting hate crimes from that section of society) Clare has been invited to talk to many groups and organisations about the film she made and the research she has done into this area.

Gateway to Heaven

Following the writing of this play, based entirely on memories from older lesbians and gay men, two national tours and the adaptation of this production into a film commissioned by Age Concern, Opening Doors Clare now gives a talk about the research of this play and the interviews she had with thirty older people about their own experiences of growing up lesbian and gay and living in a world for much of their lives where the majority of society did not accept their sexuality. This talk is particularly popular in LGBT History Month.

Saturday 3rd December 2011

Talk by Clare Summerskill, “Gateway to Heaven: Creating artistic projects from interviews with older LGBT people”

At The Ninth Annual LGBT History and Archives Conference. £10 / £7.50 (pre-booking essential) London Metropolitan Archives, 40 Northampton Road, EC1R 0HB. www.lma.gov.uk

Hearing Voices

This is a talk about the writing and research of HEARING VOICES which is a play that Clare wrote, performed in and has now been published by Tollington Press. It is based entirely on interviews with Mental Health service users who all became friends on a secure psychiatric ward where they met Clare. It is a searing indictment of the so-called “Care” currently provided by the NHS to those in mental distress. 

Events where Clare has given talks include

• GALIPS AGM
• WEST EALING LGBT CONFERENCE
• BRADFORD PRIDE HISTORY MONTH
• ENFIELD HATE CRIME FORUM MEETING
• ORAL HISTORY SOCIETY
• SALFORD UNIVERSITY
• AGE CONCERN CAMDEN, AGM
• GAY AND GREY CONFERENCE, BOURNEMOUTH

Comedy Writing Workshops for Women

Clare runs comedy writing workshops for women. These last approximately three hours and the participants look at how to write stand-up, comedy sketches for cabaret or radio and humorous short stories. They are not only a lot of fun and always found to be extremely encouraging to women who may sometimes hide their writing ability under a metaphorical bushel! For more information go to BOOKING (page) contact admin@claresummerskill.co.uk.