London 2012 Olympic Bid:

As part of Kensington and Chelsea Council’s support for the Olympic bid, the Libraries and Arts service decided to express its interest in the bid through poetry. The Land of Hope and Glory’ and `The Measure of all Things’ were written by myself. 
I spent time discussing London’s bid to hold the Olympics with a dance class and a basketball team at Lancaster and Golborne youth centres. I spoke to people in libraries across the borough and staff at Kensington and Chelsea Council about their views on the bid. I then used this information to craft two poems, which illustrate the views of the people in Kensington and Chelsea. Poetry written in the libraries and…

Ignite

I have worked for over five years on the Ignite! Programme. They are interested in creativity with a purpose. They encourage young people to offer creative thinking solutions to problems as well as creative thinking for cultural activity. Ignite was initially pilot project at NESTA, The National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts. The Programme was set up in 2003 to identify and support exceptionally creative young people between the ages of ten and twenty-one. The programme is interested in offering creative thinking solutions to problems as well as creative thinking for cultural activity. We are interested in the longer term in creativity with purpose. Sparks Over 4 years ignite has supported 20 exceptionally…

Malika’s Kitchen

As a former lead member of Malika’s Kitchen’s I have a commitment to developing new poets and writers, and building connections with diverse communities nationally and internationally. As an organisation, Malika’s Kitchen has identified and nurtured new writing and performing talent, several of whom have completed the Complete Works Programme In 2007, Malika’s Kitchen – the seminal urban international writing collective – launched at Foyles Gallery, Charing Cross its first anthology – A Storm Between Fingers – published by Flipped Eye press and distributed by Gardeners. It featured performing writers from both the UK and Chicago chapters of Malika’s Kitchen. Breaking with tradition as writers we push aside the lectern and lean instead on the…

The MAP Consortium

I initially met the MAP directors Chris Higgins and Fiona Lesley when they were training myself and other collegues to be Creative Agents for Creative Partnership. They are a consortium of artists producing cutting edge work in the fields of performance, creative development, education and training. Its members are experienced artist-facilitators who draw on the visual, performing and structural arts to reach diverse audiences. They work to deliver performance training, theatre education, and arts based interventions in the corporate and public sector. Map Consortium

Architecture for Everyone

Architecture for Everyone helps Britain’s best young designers to turn their talent into a career. It is a partnership between the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust and architectural firm RMJM – a nationwide project which encourages young people from Britain’s inner cities to consider a career in architecture and urban planning On the 9th of June 2009 – Six British youngsters joined some of the world’s most elite students at Harvard University in the USA. The group, aged between 18 and 25, have won an all expenses paid trip to study architecture following a series of workshops searching for Britain’s architects of the future. The winners include Callum Gilbert, a victim of knife crime from Liverpool…

London Teenage Poetry SLAM

For five years I was a Poet on the London Teenage Poetry Slam. The project is the culmination of six months’ training for teachers and poets, with workshops in schools run by professional poets in seven London boroughs and an all Wales Ethnic Minority Association team. The poetry produced by the students is published and archieved on CD/DVD with a final performance at an established London venue. The winning SLAM team each year are accompanied on the trip to Chicago by their teacher and their poet coach. In Chicago they perform alongside Chicago Young poets at community and school venues in Chicago. In order to participate, schools are asked to contribute £4,000 towards the project,…

Apples and Snakes

I have been working alongside Apples & Snakes to stretch the idea of what poetry is and can be in both participation and performance. I am one of their poets on the Poets in Education Scheme. Apples & Snakes collaborates with schools, local communities, hospitals, prisons and many other groups, we develop fun, creative workshops and long-term projects that engage, develop literacy, confidence and employability

A New Direction

I have been a creative practitioner for Creative Partnerships. By pairing the complementary skills of creative practitioners and teachers, Creative Partnerships helps liberate the creativity of everyone involved, so that fresh and engaging approaches to teaching and learning are developed through collaboration. The key defining characteristic of project activity is the collaborative partnership between creative professionals, classroom staff and young people and the ways in which this partnership helps to bring the curriculum to life, providing new ways for learners to engage with subjects and to develop increased motivation for learning. Creative Partnerships projects allow time for in-depth planning, co-delivery and reflection. Creative Partnerships has three strands: 1: change schools whose development is supported  for…

Arrival Education

I have been a lead facilitator Arrival Education’s ‘Success for life’ programme. Arrival runs innovative projects to help young people develop their life chances. Arrival Education’s ambition is to transform communities by equipping young people from underprivileged areas with ‘success skills’ – the real skills needed to achieve in life. Arrival take 20 charismatic students – the “key influencers” in the year group – and work with them over a 10 week period to develop their ambitions and success skills. Arrival then partner the young people with volunteers from leading companies to provide work opportunities and to help develop the skills needed to achieve the dream. ‘Success for life’ is the foundation of a four…

Jubilee Books

Jubilee Books is a specialist children’s bookseller and literacy event coordinators. They offer my services to schools and educational institutions, to engage in creative reading & writing projects, designed to develop teacher and pupil confidence, attainment, enjoyment and creativity. This might be in the form of stimulating and high-quality INSETs or exciting, meaningful out-of-school learning opportunities. Jubilee Books