Sally Bavage writes:
Thanks to funding
from the Outer North West area management committee of Leeds City Council,
managed by Headingley LitFest, a poetry ‘slam’ was held at Ralph Thoresby on
the last evening of term. The
audience of 100+ clapped, whooped and hollered as young people bared their
souls in original words both spoken and sung. And two dance teams from the school left us even more
impressed with the energy and talent that today’s youngsters can generate.
The audience
comments at the end of this report tell most of the story: the quotes that
follow are those of the young poets themselves when interviewed just before the
performance began.
I got
experience of performing in settings with proper audiences; it was a chance to
get involved.
You mingle with
other talented people, especially those from Leeds City Academy.
We get real
feedback from other students and our teachers.
Slamming – so
enjoyed it!
I have really
enjoyed the workshops, as they focused on different things each session. I have gained good skills in writing
poetry.
It was
fun! Everyone got really
involved.
“Teamwork” I made a good group of friends, so
easier to perform in front of each audience.
It boosted my confidence
and I now can read out poetry to an audience without feeling too shy.
[Michelle] made
me feel like a proper writer.
It helped
improve my confidence and writing skills – and I have noticed this in other
subjects too.
No-one had a
bad word for anyone in the group, so refreshing. Michelle was really inspiring.
The workshops
were well designed as we gave feedback to each other each week.
We all got on
really well, and I made a new group of friends. All of us have started writing and/or reading for pleasure
now; it wasn’t like that before.
It was a ‘safe’
zone where you could work with different year groups to share a love of
creative writing that wasn’t frowned upon.
And, not least,
headteacher Will Carr commented that “this sort of work is vital. It offers an opportunity for
self-expression in a safe environment to children of all abilities. Writing and
creativity just for fun – so different from much of what children get offered
at this age. It is recognised by
Ofsted that enhancement
opportunities such as this offer students a chance to create an ethos where
it’s OK to be creative and excel at literary pursuits. It gives them a chance to explore their
leadership qualities too."
As Michelle said at
the start of the evening: “We expect children to be soooo much, so many
things. Writing introspectively
can help them find themselves.”
Many poetic themes
were covered: loneliness, nature (even mud), bullying, happiness, shadows and
the monsters that hide there, letters to younger selves or daughters of the
future, explanations of dark events, even the flirting of middle-aged
women. A real mix of emotions,
genres, rhythms and ideas.
Something Else indeed.
Thanks to the young
poets involved: Alex, Amber, Emma B, Emma R, Casey, Daniel, Faye, Freya,
Hannah, Mya, Nida, Lucas, Lucy and Una.
Thanks too to the
skilful and mesmerising dancers Alice, Becky and Freya from year 11, and the
body-popping ‘Rough Diamonds’ new group from year 7 as well as Megan and Phoebe
who volunteered to organise and sell refreshments in the interval.
Thanks for the easy
jazz riffs and funky tones are also due to two young musicians, Tom and Owen –
one of whom said that it had been “just the best night, just fantastic.” The audience felt the same way too, as
you can read below.
And, of course,
what wonderful leadership from young Nida as mentor and compere for the
evening, Michelle Scally Clarke (poet, performance coach, writer and director)
herself, with Stella Litras on keyboards to accompany the singers. Other staff
were there to give their technical and moral support, a lovely thing on the
evening at the end of a very long term.
Especial thanks to
English teacher Kate Wolstenholme who made the poetry flow. Really a team effort, this time the
words unspoken in the body language of the young people who inhabited the stage
with such professional aplomb. Final word to the headteacher: “Wow. Amazing, inspiring, uplifting,
extraordinary. Wish I had been able to do that at their age!” So where might it lead our
performers? Poet Laureate indeed.
The poems that were read were titled: I talk Back, To My Five year Old Self, Mud, Beautiful, Octopus Revolution, Moss on the Rocks, Watching Grass Grow, Hand in Hand, It's Over, I Just Thought That You Should Know, My Home, Advice to My Daughter, Daughter of the Railway, ... and That's What the Life Sentence is For.
Audience comments:
 |
| Photo: Sally Bavage |
Showcasing new
talent with plenty of ability. A
very good production with a nice warm compere. Excellent.
Let’s do it again!
An excellent event,
representing a really good selection of emerging and established talent. It was a very inspirational set of
performers to see!
Fantastic, very
enjoyable – tremendous talent
My son is writing
and performing poetry which is something I did not think would ever
happen! I am 100% certain it is
down to the incredible inspiration that the writing group has provided along
with tireless energy, hard work and support from his English teacher and the
visiting author. Thank you so much
for helping him to find his voice and progress into owning it.
Very good
entertaining evening
Fantastic allowing
the children to express their thoughts
Really high
standard of talent and creativity
We liked Nida
because she was confident, spoke clearly and showed emotion when saying her
amazing poem
Great to see
children enjoying these things, being encouraged to express themselves and have
the confidence to do it
Really enjoyed the
evening
Fantastic show.
It was great to see
all the kids’ work and creativity and for them to have this chance to perform
their work. Thank you!
This was a
brilliant show of talent – keep it up.
Great platform to
showcase young creativity and talent
Fantastic evening,
showcasing Ralph Thoresby’s talented hard-working students. Thank you.
Great venue. Really nice to see the kids grow in
confidence.
First half =
AMAZING. Second half = EVEN MORE
AMAZING!!!
What a wonderful
opportunity and delight to experience.
Thank you.
Again,
fantastic. What great talent.
Very very
enjoyable. Recommend everyone to
see it.
I really liked Tom
and Owen’s music. I also liked Stella’s music. I really enjoyed tonight.
