Sally Bavage writes:
“It is winter in Narnia,” said Mr Tumnus, “and has been for ever so long…. always winter, but never Christmas.” Well, it certainly felt like winter, after the coldest night of the year so far, as the Lord Mayor Al Garthwaite, her Consort Denise Trickett and her Sergeant-at-Arms arrived on a very icy morning indeed. Indeed, I had briefly thought longingly of the fur coats hanging in the magic wardrobe ...
However, the welcome was anything but cool, a real wave of warmth and anticipation as year 5 waited to read out their poetry to a whole-school assembly. Once again Headingley LitFest had commissioned local poet and writer James Nash to work with Mrs Emilie Davis and her class 5, this time during their study of the C S Lewis Narnia classic. Headteacher Rebecca Pettman was delighted to welcome the Lord Mayor of Leeds as well as the parents who could attend. The class had speakers of 15 different languages but from the brilliant performances we were treated to in faultless English it was clear how hard they had worked.
Consort Denise Trickett, James Nash, Lord Mayor Al Garthwaite, Class 5 teacher Emilie Davis
James had proposed a starting point for their original writing that they consider what happens when you suddenly enter a different world, through a portal like the back of a wardrobe. It could happen anywhere – behind a curtain, suddenly zooming off at traffic lights, through a strange door ... A novel idea which set year 5 off on their own creative and imaginative journeys.
James shared his own version of a poem with the class and they drafted their own ideas, shared and shaped their work, took risks in their writing. They also practised how you deliver your lines to an audience, some like rather shy mice and some in a voice more often found in the playground. But everyone took part, declaiming either their favourite lines or the entire piece of work. We heard dinosaurs roar, invisible children laughing, smelt fish and chips, felt like it was a waking nightmare and saw power surging through the readers – who then came out like nothing happened.
Some totally surprised their class teaching assistant Angela Gough with the quality of their writing and the soaring confidence they showed. Class teacher Emilie Davis was so pleased with the pride and joy they demonstrated despite the circumstances being “quite scary when you're only nine or ten years old.” The performances had “exceeded her expectations 100%”. They are going to make best copies of the poems and publish them in a book for the whole school to read.
Lord Mayor Al Garthwaite is the local councillor for Headingley and Hyde Park and revealed to the school that she had always enjoyed poetry, even writing some prize-winning verses herself in the past. She praised the youngsters for their excellent demeanour and imaginative craft, confessing that she too has to 'gather herself' before speaking in public. She sat with the youngsters afterwards and gave each of them a badge. A visit they certainly won't forget!
And the children? They had “so enjoyed working with a proper poet,” loved “learning how to write a poem” and finding inspiration gave them courage. They had learned “how to plan their writing” and “gained confidence in reading in front of everybody,” especially “when other people can see what you can do.” They had “really enjoyed working together and having fun writing poetry.”
Now that's magic too.
Very grateful thanks to the Inner North West Area Management Committee of Leeds City Council for sponsoring this project again.
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