Poet James Nash at Weetwood Primary

Sally Bavage writes: 

Africa and the Slave Trade

Year 5 study the history, geography and culture of Africa during the summer term and this coincided with the visits by our commissioned poet James Nash, whose work at Weetwood primary school had been delayed this year by Covid.

What a strong topic to engage with the creative writing of poetry led by a master of his art! The rich imagery, the sounds and smells, the enjoyment of village life, the sense of menace lurking in the centuries when slave trading took place. Year 5 absolutely engrossed themselves in their work and responded by writing so many heartfelt poems they were bursting with pride to read out in a sharing assembly with parents and other teachers present.

The youngsters draft and edit their work, share with friends and other peers, then finally to a whole class assembly. An important part of this poetry project, funded by local councillors, is learning how to read out and present your work to an audience. It's a lifeskill that cannot be taught but which has so much value in future years.

James Nash with Joanne Parker

Elephants bathing in the river, the smell of cooking rice, the sound of laughing children at play, sitting on the beach watching the waves. Village life goes steadily on. But no. A smell of fires not from cooking pots, a feeling of foreboding, a youngster traumatised by the loss of his family, a fear for the future of the country, seeing the ghosts of those taken. And expressed in vocabulary that was so mature and empathetic, some using the rhythm of their lines to create a n unnerving drumbeat.

“My long-gone baby brother, murdered at five months old”

“Even though his soft skin will never touch my mother's hand again.”

I'm too scared to go to sleep”

My family, only alive and well in my mind.”

“I see them coming, coming, coming”

I dream, I dream, I dream of a world with no war. When tribes can trade in peace”

”I dream of my father - all I have left of him is a mask”

“Sunlight over a sleeping village”

“Huddling under a shared blanket”

“Warm sand glitters in the ocean-blue air”

“Friends, dead or taken, are alive in our hearts”

“A boat of misery, full of traders”

I have to pinch myself that these lines have been written and are being read out by youngsters who are nine or ten years old. And they listen so attentively to each other's work, a skill many adults have yet to acquire!

As one mum said, “My son has improved his vocabulary so much with this work, and his confidence in himself and his ability has just soared.” A dad also commented, “This is a brilliant introduction to poetry, a way of expressing yourself that goes far beyond the curriculum and brings this type of writing to real life.”

Joanne Parker, class teacher, explained that this project was always such a fantastic starting point for creative writing. Even reluctant writers were inspired as their self-esteem goes through the roof. And as for the kudos of working with a Proper Published Poet ...”

Once again, many thanks to the councillors of the Inner North West community committee who graciously funded this work.

The Body Beautiful at Shire Oak

Sally Bavage writes

Year 3 have been studying animals, including humans, as part of their science work this term. They have also worked with the school's favourite Proper Professional Published Poet – James Nash – who returns to the school by acclaim, after more than a two-year pandemic break, and is so warmly greeted by the former year 3's now in year 6 who remember his work with them in December 2019.

This time the young writers were inspired by the skeleton and found it great fun to write, edit and redraft poetry about bodies. And read either their whole poem or their favourite lines to an audience of one hundred staff, other year groups and around twenty parents/carers. I remind myself these are seven or eight years old, with the aplomb of adults and the ability to milk a line here and there. Fantastic.

“I am a spine.

I keep the back up straight and look like a blunt sword without a handle.”

“I am a skull. A face without flesh.”

“I'm a femur, the strongest bone and like a propellor connected to the tibia and fibula.”

“I like to go the NHS. Try to break me!”

“i'm a ribcage and look like a shelter.

Nothing gets out of my cage.”

I'm ribs. I look like a helter skelter.”

“I'm a spine. The shoulders sit on me and squash me. I never get any rest.”

I am a toe bone. I have nine other brothers and sisters.

The fingers are my cousins.”

What imagery. What use of vocabulary.

There were many other comments about keeping these bodies healthy with exercise and nutrition – the scientific learning has definitely struck home and been interpreted through poetry. A LitFest first.

One mum said: “The poetry was so expressive; my son has talked a lot about it at home and really enjoyed it.” A dad commented: “I'm really blown away by the lines my daughter wrote and chose to read out.”

Class teacher Helen Barley was so impressed with the descriptions they used and found several children had really surprised her with their confidence and the quality of their writing. The whole class really enjoyed collecting all the bone words they could use in their verses.

Headteacher Jane Devane was so pleased to have James Nash back in again after the disruptions of the Covid years. She said: “Always so joyful to have James in school, inspiring children to love poetry and see themselves as poets too.”

Last words to the children.

“We've loved learning how to write a poem.”

“Really good fun.”

and, of course,

“Poems don't have to rhyme!”

Grateful thanks are given to the Outer West Area Management Committee of councillors, whose funding for a visiting poet allowed this to go ahead.

Testament of Youth

5 May 2022

Sally Bavage writes:

No, not the wonderful WW1 memoir by Vera Brittain but a finale to the series of creative poetry writing workshops at Ralph Thoresby school, headed up by Testament. This internationally acclaimed poet, writer and performer worked with a group of 20 young writers ranging in age from 11 to 15 to encourage them in writing about their own ideas. To find light in the darkest of times, to create original writing and get the power of the words down on paper. Then to share them, after some rehearsal, with a whole year group. In the drama theatre, on stage in front of spotlights. So no pressure then!

I was in awe of the composure and clarity of the performers themselves, a humbling experience to watch the confidence of these youngsters just grow as they took to the mike. Would you have done that at their age?? And what an experience to take forward into their futures – writing words that were carefully crafted, performing them to a theatre full of peers, knowing that your voice matters.

Testament himself also shared with the writers and the audience some details of his own journey through young years that were not easy. How he was proud of his mixed Ghanaian and English family and cultures – and how facing up to challenges made you stronger. As an ordinary boy from a London school he now has an extraordinary career performing and writing for a wide range of international media, even recently teaching Poet Laureate Simon Armitage to beatbox for a BBC Radio 4 programme. He was Channel 4 Writer in Residence at the Manchester Royal Exchange Theatre in 2019 and his show 'Orpheus in the Record Shop' opened at Leeds Playhouse in 2020.

He thoroughly enjoyed his time at Ralph Thoresby and commented:

• 'Hearing a young person (who not part of the original writer’s group) be unconfident about what they wrote, then receive praise about it, and then have the courage to share it in front of the whole year group in the hall.

• A young girl who is part of the writers' group - initially skeptical about writing in this new way - who was really buzzing about what she wrote and performed.

• Having the mix of students who were working with more established writers was great and seeing how their peers respected their work.'

Headteacher Will Carr commented that 'The pandemic had affected the social and emotional health of many students, and having such a brilliant opportunity to explore personal fears and feelings was a massive bright spot and a lifeline for particular students.'

And deputy headteacher Steve Hackshaw : 'Kate always does some fantastic work to support these young writers.'

And Kate Wolstenholme herself: 'What Testament drew out of the kids was phenomenal. I loved the positivity he built at the start of the performance - the idea that expressing yourself is scary, the idea that any one of the audience could be a successful artist, that this is possible. 

The work produced was excellent - imagery, dystopian settings and the scope of their imaginations were all utilised in a stealthy and non-threatening way. Andy made a point of making each of those pupils feel special and seen - something they will never forget. I sometimes feel like I have the best job in the world when I hear creative pieces performed by these amazing young people. Having seen Testament perform on our Arvon residential trip, I knew how powerful he would be - he exceeded my expectations. His linking of Hip Hop to dystopian literature was a perfect way of conveying the power of language and creativity to our young people.

Ralph Thoresby have a history of offering space and inspiration for creativity – I’m really proud of this. Sally Bavage, of Headingley LitFest, has invested many hours of her spare time to allow us to pay for professional writers to give workshops and performances. I’d like to say a huge thanks to the festival team – and especially Sally - for their support'.

Grateful thanks are given to the Outer West Area Management Committee of councillors, whose funding for a visiting poet allowed this to go ahead.

Unsung Sports

Chapel FM's Celebration Event is on Thursday 12 May, 7.30 - 10.30pm, at the Irish Centre on York Road, Leeds.

Headingley LitFest contributed to the funding of this. See you there.

Full details -

https://allevents.in/leeds/unsung-sports-celebration-event/10000315198636607

UNSUNG SPORTS  What do you love about your sport? How did you get involved? Fancy talking about it, writing about it, helping to write a song about it?

UNSUNG SPORTS is an arts project that celebrates sports in Leeds. Not the sports that talk the loudest, but the well-kept secrets. I’m working with 3 brilliant artists – photographer Lizzie Coombes, film maker Emilie Flower, and musician Dave Evans - to create:

• A SONG ABOUT YOUR SPORT

• A FILM ABOUT YOUR SPORT

• A PODCAST ABOUT YOUR SPORT

• AN EXHIBITION OF PHOTOGRAPHS OF PLAYERS AND SUPPORTERS

And we need your help! If you’d like to know more, please email me, Peter Spafford:  spaffordpeter@gmail.com / 07590 028327 COMING UP IN 2022

JANUARY: Lizzie takes photo-portraits of players at training venues

FEBRUARY: Peter & Dave run creative writing and songwriting sessions

MAY: Final social event showcasing photos, films, and songs

UNSUNG SPORTS aims to celebrate the range of amazing sports that happen in our city, tell the stories of the people and communities who play them, and attract more people to forms of physical and social activity they may never have dreamt existed!

Iby Knill

 

 

 Headingley LitFest was one of many organisations which were addressed by the seemingly indefatigable Iby Knill, a Holocaust survivor who has died 77 years after her liberation from a concentration camp. Aged 98, she died on Easter Sunday, the same day she was freed from a death march from Auschwitz, in Nazi-occupied Poland, in 1945. Born in 1923 in Czechoslovakia, she moved to Leeds after marrying Bert Knill, a British soldier, in 1946.

Read our blog report from 2015, entitled 'The Woman Without A Number':

https://headingleylitfest.blogspot.com/2015/10/indefatigable-in-spreading-message-of.html

Quarry Mount Primary School pupils explore Space. 31.3.22

Mary Francis writes:

It was a magnificently sunny, snowy morning when Year 5 pupils at Quarry Mount Primary School shared some of their poems in assembly with the rest of the school - though sadly not their parents, due to Covid-19. 

They had been working over three sessions with writer and poet James Nash on exploring the theme of Space, then coming up with ideas around that theme, turning those ideas into poems, then editing and rewriting them until they were happy with a finished piece of work.

The pupils were very impressive and had obviously learned a great deal. The deliveries of their work were splendid, with some good, strong and seemingly confident voices. Their poems seemed to go down very well with the rest of the school.

Some good lines -

Millions of stars around me/ shining like a torch in the darkness/ blinking in front of planets

I can feel fear as my friends and family plunge into eternal darkness of Space

I am moving into the dark away from the stars/ Behind me all the planets/ Venus, Earth and Mars

        …. as through Space I roam

I can see darkness in Space/ I can smell the dust, smoke and gas

The young poets had been very engaged and had enjoyed the sessions.

James managed to collect some feedback from them -

Best thing about the project - 

Learning how poems work - sharing them with a group - learning how to write a poem - transforming a story into a poem - learning the features of a poem

What they learned - 

How to set a poem out - how to turn ideas into a poem - facing challenges in writing > perseverance - the things that make a poem a poem

Why it was good to share work with other pupils -

You can hear what needs to change - it’s good to share ideas - helps you make it better - people can get inspiration from you

What they will remember about this project - 

How to start a poem - how to make a story into a poem - features of a poem - how to make a poem interesting - how to edit and redraft to make a poem

James adds:

One of the strengths of the poetry projects in primary schools is how we work within the curriculum to build on it and underpin it. The children had had a visit from a planetarium two days before I came in so were full of facts and information. Together we went on a poetic space journey and they rose to the challenge.

On the morning of the sharing assembly seven of my young poets read their poetry to the rest of their class whilst I did a session on performance skills with the remaining four. In the assembly these four and some others from Year 5 read their space poems and haikus with grace and confidence.

Comments coming my way from staff including the Year 5 classroom assistant 

‘you always get the best out of the children’ 

and ‘how brilliant to see the children grow in confidence during the sessions’.

It was great to see how attentive the rest of the school were with the performances; they clearly got a very strong message about poetry, spoken word and creativity.