Half term poetry workshops

This half term break, I am organising and facilitating two poetry workshops for young people aged 16-18 to broaden their engagement with poetry in written and performance forms, and to build confidence in creating poetry of their own. The workshops will look at different themes explored within pre-existing poetry and support participants with their own creative responses to poetry writing prompts. I am passionate about supporting young people to celebrate their own creativity through writing poetry outside of the school curriculum, as this is something not usually featured on English syllabi and can be incredibly beneficial for mental health, social connections, and developing a feeling of confidence in one's own voice. In 2019, I self-published a poetry anthology on the subject of mental health in aid of Mind UK, and I am a published journalist tending to focus on mental health and education. I love working with teenagers and believe that encouraging creativity in the wake of the pandemic is particularly valuable, at a time when many may feel daunted by their relationship with a complex world.