“I’ve had a great time running workshops with Year 5 children at St John The Divine and Jessop Primary schools. We are exploring some deep, powerful issues to do with identity, community, family and the world. So far the children have been writing individual pieces, playing warm-up games and listening to and discussing one or two poems by me. In future weeks we will synthesise the individual pieces into a group poem, which the children will then rehearse and perform.
I have been struck by the enthusiasm and energy of the children, and especially by their ability and willingness to engage with important issues. However, there has also been a healthy dose of silliness and fun. For example, they said they enjoyed seeing Adisa perform, and were struck by how quickly he spoke. I then proceeded to perform the FASTEST POEM IN THE WHOLE WORLD (here is a video of me performing the poem in Edinburgh). Beat that Adisa!
I look forward to continuing my work with two groups of fantastic children!”
Many thanks Joshua
The Brixton Learning Collaborative 