AROUND THE SCHOOL: AVA PICKETT TALK - FROM 1536 TO 2026... On the 10th of March, Waldegrave was lucky enough to be visited by the award winning playwright and screenwriter Ava Pickett. She came in to speak to the English and Drama A-Level students and the Year 11 book club about her work and how she got to where she is now. Ava is best known for her plays ‘Emma’ and ‘1536’ which won the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, as well as her writing on the Netflix comedy series ‘How To Get To Heaven From Belfast’. Her work is incredibly relevant in our modern society, addressing subjects like misogyny and the importance of female friendship in the face of patriarchy. We found it so inspirational to hear Ava speak openly and honestly about her experiences and how they have led her to reach such a high level of success. She spoke about how she had initially pursued acting, only turning to writing when acting didn't work out the way she had planned. This was especially interesting, as many successful individuals speak about instant achievement in their fields of work, rather than shifting careers and only then finding what they were looking for. She emphasised the importance of not setting your sights on one particular goal but appreciating different pathways to success. As young people, this is a necessary and reassuring sentiment in the
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