Transformations at Weetwood Primary Schoo

When Year 5 finally had the opportunity to share their original poetry about waste and recycling with parents it was to a full classroom.  Full of both excited youngsters and enthusiastic parents.

 

The pupils had been working with local writer and published poet James Nash.  This followed a visit to the Recycling and Energy Recovery Facility (known as RERF) at Cross Green.  They had explored what happens to the contents of their bins and how it is transformed into electricity for 20,000 homes. The thinking that then went into their creative writing was transformative too.

 

The RERF building includes a mix of innovative and sustainable materials and techniques, including a 42m high timber arch forming the main process hall – the largest timber structure of its type in Europe. The facility was awarded the 2015 Project of the Year at the National Structural Timber Awards.

 

James led them through some of the processes he uses to write a poem: from first ideas (where they had been challenged to imagine they were a piece of rubbish in a bin); describing their journey to the recycling centre; thinking about what their senses would tell them about the experience; how they might feel at different stages on the way. These are pretty sophisticated concepts when you're only nine or ten years old! They handled it brilliantly and no-one produced any throwaway lines.

 

In the next session with James, Year 5 worked hard on how to edit and redraft those first ideas into a poem.  They thought about what they really wanted to say and how to express it most effectively.  They were looking for powerful vocabulary, great metaphors and expressive writing while considering how to organise their thinking into lines and verses, using what they had learnt about the form and structure of a poem.

 

While they worked on polishing and improving their poems there was lots of opportunity for them to practise reading their drafts aloud in preparation for the classroom finale sharing their work with parents, other school staff and visitors.

 

The journey, a furious mix of jerking and jostling,

The wall of glass intimidating

 

wrote one gifted poet. While another, conscious of the sound of their words and managing rhyme beautifully, said

 

Jumbled and tumbled,

Crumpled and rumpled

Locked in a lair

Filled with despair

 

Another young writer wrote,

 

The last journey is a sonic fast from waste to aggregate

The colossal claw is grabbing

 

Year 5 really enjoyed the experience of working with a ‘real, live’ poet.  ‘He was really friendly,’ said one pupil, 'and he knew how to help us’.

 

The parents in the audience were very appreciative of the work of the class.  One youngster had a sibling who had take part in a previous year’s workshop with James, and whose mum was moved to say, ’The kids’ creativity was off the scale! It’s such a great event’.

 

 ‘They had such self-confidence in reading out their poems,’ an enthusiastic audience member said, while another valued the cross-curriculum impact of the poetry writing, ‘It was so good that it was a part of another project - a big one that they are doing - and the idea of writing from point of view of a piece of rubbish was brilliant!’

 

Mrs Joanne Parker, class teacher, concurred, ‘Every year we say how fantastic this poetry unit is .  This felt like the best ever’.

 

Perhaps it’s appropriate to give a Year 5 pupil the last words,

 

I cannot go home now

I’ll be burnt in a furnace

Used to tarmac roads

Hurled onto a fiery rock

Gone and never coming back

 

Maybe the rubbish is gone and never coming back but the school staff were as one in hoping that James could indeed come back to work his transformation on the next year group.

 

Headingley LitFest is very grateful once again for support for this project from the Area Management Committee of Leeds City Council and the local councillors who allocate the grant.

 

 

 

Emotional performance at Brudenell Primary with Malika Booker

 Richard Wilcocks writes:

The Year 5 class at Brudenell Primary School was full of questions soon after we arrived towards the end of a Maths session led by class teacher Tom Nutman. It any of the children thought poet Malika Booker might be merely a welcome novelty, they were soon to be proved wrong when she revealed  a plan for intense creative activity which would finish with a poetry performance for their parents. First, she read her poem about a cat which had to go when she was born. Then -

 

Q.  When did you start writing poetry?

A. In my teenage years, but I read a lot of it from the age of four.

 

Q.  Is your poetry all true or made up?

A.  I think maybe there’s a little bit of a lie, with the use of exaggeration. It’s true to life though, and there’s a lot of imagination involved.

 

Q.  Which poets do you like?

A.  I like William Blake, and I’m inspired by Caribbean poets.

 

Q.  Did you do poetry at school?

A.  Yes. I was inspired by some teachers, especially one particular English and Drama teacher.

 

Q.  Did you ever get bored of poetry?

A. No. I loved performing poems at school.

 

Q.  Have you always been working as a poet?

A. I’ve spent twenty-five years with professional poetry. I once had it in mind to be a teacher or a singer. I can’t sing though. If I could sing I wouldn’t have been a poet.

 

Q.  What starts you writing a poem?

A.  I read other people’s poems to inspire me before I write.

 

Soon the class was responding to her questions with its existing knowledge of similes, metaphors and the five senses. Malika asked for striking examples (of similes in particular), to go with a wide range of emotions. Working in pairs and small groups, and following her advice that clichés must be avoided, the children came up with plenty of imaginative comparisons:

 

Jealousy is like cockroaches crawling on your back.

 

Anger sounds like a cat hissing.

 

Anger looks like broken crockery.

 

Love is like tasting smooth chocolate on a sunny day.

 

Soon, the pupils’ whiteboards were full of ideas and the fort lesson with Malika came to an end. The work continued with Tom Nutman until her return the following week. In the second lesson, she used one of her favourite teaching aids – the poem ‘My Father’s Hands’ by poet Lisa Mahair Majaj (Palestinian – American poet who was brought up in Jordan) – which was followed by an instruction for every child to draw an outline around one hand. “Make it big,” said Malika. “Don’t just use your hand as a stencil”.

 

“Now choose someone you love. It could be a family member like your mother or father or a grandparent. Yes, brothers and sisters are fine.” This was followed by discussion on the typical actions of the chosen loved one (mostly mothers, a few grandads) and similes which might be useful. Emotions were so important – how they were connected to body language, or rather hand language. Some of the children’s ideas were really memorable:

 

She puts her hands together and looks like an Olympic swimmer diving in.

 

Her hands are like window wipers on her eyes.

 

Her fingers tap like on a little drum.

 

“And what if you never saw that loved one ever again?”

 

It would be like entering a dark tunnel.

 

The third lesson a few days later consisted of the performance by every single child in the main hall, to which parents had been invited. After preliminary work on projecting the voice from Malika and Tom, and a noisy warm-up using a tongue-twister led by Malika, the show commenced. Hearts and souls went into it.

 

Some reactions:

 

Having members of our community come in and share their passion for literature is always a welcome addition to our curriculum. Some of these chlldren have come to this country with no English. This is such a great achievement, and the poems are absolutely beautiful. (Headteacher Jill Harland)

 

I couldn't be more proud. (Tom Nutman)

 

I am nearly ten and I felt really confident when I was sat down but then I didn’t expect so many people but it was all right when I did my poem. (Ayra)

 

It wasn’t that scary. (Rayan)

 

I enjoyed speaking out loud. (Ali)

 

It was done really well so I enjoyed it. So much confidence! (Rhada Bhakar, parent)

 

It was so good for building confidence. Thank you in the LitFest very much. I am starting a debating club for primary school children in the community. I now think poetry could help. (Sinab, parent)

 

Performing in front of people is so good for their confidence. (Julius, parent)

 

I cried a little at the words. (Anon. parent)

 

Some of the lines broke my heart ( Cllr.Tim Goodall)

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

Celebrating International Women's Day at HEART

 Accelerating Action

This year is the tenth collaboration between local writers and Headingley LitFest to mark International Women’s Day. It was hosted by Heartlines, the creative writers' group overseen by Liz McPherson. This delightful morning of original poetry, prose, and song, themed around the setbacks and struggle, determination and strength of women worldwide both inspires and gives food for thought. Followed by food of a more visceral nature as we enjoyed home-made cakes and hot drinks among friends past and present. It felt like a companionable meeting of minds.

 

We ranged over time, place, class, and education to showcase women who have made a difference.

 

Kaz told us of Elizabeth Prout, a strong-minded person who became a staunch Roman Catholic when it was unpopular – she bore the storms and sneers, the spit and stones of opprobrium. She realised that education and dignity were gifts girls needed to fulfil their lives. Her Order went on to found St Gemma's Hospice.

 

Eileen spoke of Roberta Joan Anderson, whose songs have accompanied most women of a certain age through many life stages. Her life was cosmopolitan and rich in spirit, not always happy but always fiercely independent and full. Music was her medicine. Eileen referenced the song 'Sweet Bird':

Sweet bird of time and change/You must be laughing/Up on your feathers laughing.

 

Eileen was, of course, speaking of the lyrics of Joni Mitchell. She also gave us Red Rag, a poem that explores the menstrual cycle, from its physical realities to its cultural and emotional significances.

 

Bill based his first poem on work by Maya Angelou and his second on Billie Holliday, both of whom 'squeezed sweetness from the height of pain.' Both of these women used the extraordinary power of words in prose and song to move and inspire us.

 

Howard wrote about Ada Lovelace, daughter of Lord Byron who 'had a mind like a machine, expanding numbers into words.'  She developed computer programming language, though sadly, she was 'lost to opium – too much Bryon in you.' He also dedicated a poem to his GP 'whose best concoction is yourself' though Dr Bell had 'no potions to mend my heart.’

 

Marie-Paule reminisced with us about her French heritage and reflected on her mother's experiences in ‘Fingers Red and Wrinkled’. The dishwasher and washing machine of today was then, of course, the woman or women of the family whose swollen fingers spoke of a life of labour in factory or home.

 

A musical interlude with singer/songwriter Maria on guitar (pictured) and Rob on the concertina and melodeon followed. 

 

Maria sang her own original songs about three different women. Marilyn Monroe who was 'so very much aware, just pretending to be dumb'. Let Me Be was a call to arms, to each of us to 'Dream what my life can be', Find your vision.'  And then a modern shanty featuring Skipper Dora, a hero of the seas around Whitby. The first female coble captain who went fishing in wartime with a pistol strapped to her waist.

 

Picture of Dora skippering her coble, The Good Faith

 

[A statue of Dora Walker, by Emma Stothard, stands on Whitby’s West Cliff and forms part of the town’s Walking with Heritage Trail.]

 

Linda then spoke of The Reading Woman who decided she was tired of pretty calendars with illustrations of female passivity. She was going out dancing and would buy her own calendars in future!

 

Barbara's prose account of a serendipitous visit to Coleridge Cottage in Nether Stowey saw her join the annual Women's Walk which is taken by most of the women of the village. It is in honour of Coleridge's best friend, a man called Tom Poole, who used profits from the family tannery to employ many local women, set up a free school for all the children and found the Female Friendly Society which supported women in times of sickness, childbirth, widowhood and old age. A good man.

 

Myrna exhorted us to keep fighting battles for gender equality and to be vigilant. ‘I am a woman, not a witch’ – a woman with a point of view, to be celebrated for wisdom and skills, not shunned or persecuted as many have been in the past (and still are in some cultures). She urged us to put our foot on the pedal and accelerate.

 

Dru recounted some aspects of the life of Suffragette hero, Emily Davison. Her degree in English Literature was not granted, she was arrested nine times, went on hunger strike eight times, was force-fed forty-nine times. She died under the King's horse at the 1913 Epsom Derby but left no note. Dru’s poem is written as the (fictional) note that Emily had dropped at the local station, fluttering on to the track unseen. In it she spoke of her determination that 'we will win the vote for every woman'. And, of course, we were reminded that International Women's Day is marked across the world, even in horrific warzones or under the restrictive regimes that daily blight or obliterate the lives of women and children.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emily_Davison

 

Malcolm read us his poem The Evil Cloud (though at first, I misheard this as The Evil Clown. Yes, him.)  Malcolm told us that, we should build dams to protect the poor and persecuted and that the Evil Cloud produces rain that is harsh, destructive. 'We need the cement of hope to build our wall, not his.'  He also treated us to the lyric of Fred Small sung by folk singer Roy Bailey.

'And the only measure of your words and your deeds/Will be the love you leave behind when you're gone/The love you leave behind when you're gone.'

 

Liz, our compere for the morning, reminded us that class not calibre has been and still can be the main barrier to women's advancement. She emphasized that this issue has become even more pressing as hard-won progress is being rolled back globally. In her first poem, a woman burdened by domestic work "polishes the gaps where her own life might have been," capturing the curbs and restraints that many women suffer. She then read a poem about Patricia Atkinson, the fourth known victim of Peter Sutcliffe, reminding us that violence against women has not diminished since those dark days between 1955 and 1980 when the man they called the Yorkshire Ripper spread fear across West Yorkshire. Furthermore, her poem highlighted attitudes to sex workers—many of whom are women—who still do not receive respect from those in authority.

[Ed: Good then that the film Anora has just received five Oscars. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anora.]

 

Jackie told of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, known as the Godmother of Rock 'n' Roll for her trailblazing life and distinctive musical style. Rosetta Tharpe played with all the greats and inspired others, such as Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Cash. Shamefully she was not inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame until 2007.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sister_Rosetta_Tharpe

 

As a finale, Jackie recounted an anecdote from her days playing base guitar in the all-girl group, Mother Superior. We were delighted to see the footage of them playing in 1976 as backing group to Cliff Richard (!) singing Sweet Little Sixteen. She showed us the only surviving clip of her band playing. Interesting to see how fashion-forward the group were. And a discombobulated Cliff who had refused to let them play unless they dropped the word ‘Mother’ from their name. View the footage here.

https://jackiebadgersblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/1976-mother-superior.html

 

Once again, thanks are also due to Rachel, Headingley LitFest volunteer for adding her homemade cakes to the display of edible goodies provided.

 

A delightful morning of entertainment that nevertheless packed a punch in its messaging. Women must never give in, or up, but continue to Accelerate Action in order to achieve true gender equality.

 

 

 

 

 

All emotions included - Malika Booker at Little London Academy

 

Richard Wilcocks writes:

Malika Booker began with a reading of one of her published poems – about a cat that had to go when she was born – then said a few words about narrative poems in general. She explained that they had existed before writing was invented and were sometimes very long, so they had to be learned by heart. Many of her own poems are stories about her own early life. The poems to be written by the class did not have to be long, though, and before anybody asked, they don’t have to rhyme

Thanks to class teacher Victoria Williams (pictured with Malika), the nine and ten year-olds in the Year 5 class at Little London Academy in Leeds already knew a fair amount about similes and metaphors, judging from the speed with which their hands shot up after Malika Booker asked them about the matter at the beginning of her first session with them, so when she followed with “What does love look like?” they got the idea immediately. Here are some responses -

Love is like sweet chocolate melting in your mouth

Love is like a white swan gliding across a lake

When she invited them to think about the rest of the five senses, it was time to shift a few chairs and work in pairs and threes. How would they deal with emotions like sadness or anger?

Anger is like a volcano which builds up then explodes.

Or sadness?

Sadness is like rotting food in a forgotten fridge.

An impressed Malika said she might use some ideas from this class in her own poetry, then warned that in the next session a portrait poem would be devised and written. So it was: in the second session copies of ‘My Father’s Hands’ by poet Lisa Mahair Majaj (Palestinian – American poet who was brought up in Jordan) were distributed and read out.

This poem is available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-Kp1IjjSzA

Each member of the class then drew an outline around one of their hands, and a personal loved one was chosen – a mother, a father, a sister…   and the outline was filled with the similes chosen by each individual for the various emotions felt for the loved one.

“Think of actions,” said Malika. “Look at me. I’m tapping the side of my head to show you what my mum did when she was very anxious. Can you think of any special action that your loved person does? You’re sure to have a good idea suddenly strike you. You can call it an epiphany!”

One boy had a good idea immediately:

My mum stirs a pot as if it was the wheel of a pirate ship.

“And what would it be like if you could never hold that hand again?” asked Malika.

It would be a day with no light

a stomach with no food

a bird with no wings

a dog with no bark

 

 

The writing in the drawings became the poem to be performed in the main hall during an assembly in the third session.

A Year 4 class and a row of parents formed the audience. There was laughter and tears of joy at several points in the performance.

Parents' comments included:

So heartwarming – and they weren’t just writing about love – other emotions like jealousy and anger were there.

So expressive!

It was such a good experience to have the kids performing for us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

International Women's Day at Heart

Headingley Litfest and Heartline Writers (formerly a WEA creative writing group based at HEART) have collaborated for a number of years  to present an annual event of spoken word and song for International Women's Day.

Sadly, in the light of events around the world, it feels more important than ever to highlight women's rights and to celebrate the lives and actions of courageous women and allies from the past and in the present. 

This year's International Women's Day theme is Accelerate Action. Do come along to this free event at HEART that includes tea, coffee and cake, with donations welcome to cover costs. All are welcome. No need to book. Tuesday 4th March.  Doors open 10.15, event starts at 10.30. HEART, Bennett Rd, LS6 3HN. Some Disabled Parking on site. Accessible venue. See you there!

 Antarctica at Spring Bank Primary School

 

On Friday 14th February Year 3 included a presentation of their original poems as a much-anticipated and joyful finale to a Certificates assembly celebrating personal achievements. The temperature outside at 9 am was 1 degree Centigrade and my car was warning me of black ice. Definitely scene-setting to get us in the mood, but the very warm welcome by a whole row of parents for the efforts of their youngsters was heartwarming. Deputy headteacher Amy Houldsworth gave James Nash a big build-up and explained how every year that he has worked in the school he has created magic.

A topic new to our commissioned poet, local writer James Nash, he had carefully done his research and held an ideas session with the year 3 children to give them a range of possibilities. They chose to write original work on the theme 'Imagine you are a penguin.' And, of course, had to model how penguins walk! They considered how penguins live, what they love or hate, the realities of daily life with their families. Quite sophisticated ideas when you're seven years old. They might be small but the ambition in their writing was huge. Young writers with some very mature considerations.

As they worked together on crafting and editing their work, their confidence grew along with their thinking and vocabulary. And they were so engaged and enthusiastic about the work that all the parents commented how much they had heard about it at home. “He's never stopped talking about it, and is so looking forward to expressing himself.” For, of course, part of the project is encouraging children to perform their own work in front of an audience. Just the whole school, and staff, and parents. Quite daunting when you're a new reader as well as writer!

“He's buzzing to do it!” “She's following her two sisters who have alredy done this project, and who both told her how much she would enjoy it. She has.” “All week he has been very excited and looking forward to performing.” “She's very shy but going to read out some of her work, I'm so proud of her.” There was more in this vein, and a universal thumbs-up that Mrs Baruah's class had really got under the skin of a penguin.

We heard about protecting the penguin eggs amidst the blue of the ice, or in a blizzard. We thought about the sound of silence, or the raging of the winds. We worried about swimming alone or walking through the snow. We considered the danger of icebergs and predators in the sea.

'I can feel the cold.'

'I'm looking for a hole in the snow to lay my beautiful eggs.'

'I hear silence, or the sea lapping on the ice.'

'The snow is shiny, glittery.'

'I walk and wobble on the ice.'

'I see other penguins with joy and laughter.'

When I asked Mrs Baruah, and several other teaching or teaching assistant staff, “Can you think of a child who has absolutely confounded your expectations this week?” each of them had several examples come immediately to mind. So the project has long-term implications for writing competence as well as self-confidence – and you can't overestimate the value of that.

Once again we are very grateful to the Inner North West Area Management Committee of Leeds City Council for supporting this project.