Poetry for STAGE (slam poetry) and PAGE (written works)

Throughout fifteen years of teaching poetry in schools I have found the most common immediate response from students regarding poetry is… ‘IT’S BORING’ or ‘IT’S TOO HARD TO WRITE’ or ‘WHAT’S THE POINT OF IT ANYWAY?’

In this session, through a humorous and passionate performance and then sharing THE SECRET TO WRITING POETRY, these negative presumptions are quickly smashed apart, paving a way forward for students to engage.

I then lead students through an easy process of how to enter in to the writing of their poetry in an engaging and fun way.

Throughout the session both the performance and the poetry writing activities focus on how young people see themselves and how creativity and writing can help their self perception.

Topics covered

• Why poetry is way cooler than you thought.
• Performance of poetry- What makes it interesting and engaging? What poetry/performance tools am I using?
• Poetry as a way to let air out of the emotional balloon inside.
• The secret to writing good poetry is allowing yourself to write bad poetry.
• Poetry writing that begins not with EDITING but in finding CREATIVE FLOW.
• The beginning of the Creative Writing Process.