Celebrate National Poetry Day (5th October 2023) or World Poetry Day (21st March 2024) with an in-person or live streamed workshop from As Creatives! 

National Poetry Day is the annual mass celebration on the first Thursday of October that encourages all to enjoy, discover and share poetry. As every year, we have developed a brand new poetry programme to tie in with the theme of National Poetry Day 2023. This year’s theme is “Refuge” – and this year’s programme is Refuge Rhymes.

Our workshops are also available all year round. Remember - every poem has to start somewhere. So start yours now – and get in touch today!

Find out more about our full range of poetry workshops available throughout the school year.

 

Refuge Rhymes - Primary Workshop

Refuge Rhymes comprises workshops in which pupils explore and use the poetic form of dramatic monologue to write persuasive, collaborative verses focusing on: Refuge for Animals (EYFS – Year 2/P1 – P3) … Refuge for Friends (Years 3 & 4/P4 & P5 … and Refuge for Strangers (Years 5 & 6/P6 & P7). 

Refuge Rhymes can accommodate the whole of up to a two-form entry school in a single day, opening with an assembly at which a member of our team shares a favourite poem. If time allows, we can include a second assembly, too – during which classes perform their poems. It’s also possible, too, to deliver longer workshops to fewer classes – and these longer workshops would see children writing some of their own individual poems too. Whichever option you choose, though, we will send you designed and illustrated versions of all the work.

"Each class thoroughly enjoyed the poetry workshops and enjoyed taking an active role in order to create their ideas. Using drama to create an orchestra of sounds for our soundscape poems was fantastic to see and I know that we plan to use this strategy with the children again! Thank you for inspiring the children, so they could create such wonderful ideas!" Windsor CP School

 

Refuge Rhymes -Secondary Workshop

Recent events across the world have made us all even more aware of the need to offer refuge to people less fortunate than ourselves. But more aware, too, of the charged atmosphere often surrounding the issue. Refuge Rhymes strips away the rhetoric in workshops seeing students exploring and using the poetic form of dramatic monologue to write persuasive, collaborative verses focusing on the raw humanity of the challenge. 

Refuge Rhymes can accommodate up to 30 students at a time in workshops lasting from a single lesson, allowing a member of our team to work with a large number of students in just one day. It’s also possible, too, to deliver longer workshops to fewer groups – and these longer workshops would see students writing some of their own individual poems too. Whichever option you choose, though, we will send you designed and illustrated versions of all the work! 

"The immersion aspect was particularly effective in engaging the pupils and this led to high standards of written poetry. All teachers were full of praise for the workshops and were delighted with the pupil outcomes and engagement. We would love to arrange another visit for next year!" Head of English, Immanuel and St Andrews School