Young Voices Take Centre Stage at SMART Schools Trust Poetry Slam
On Monday, 1st July, Liskeard Public Hall echoed with the passionate words of young poets as SMART Schools Trust primary schools – Dobwalls Community Primary, Landulph Primary, and Trewidland Primary and Pre-School – came together for an enthusiastic Poetry Slam.
Spearheaded by Dr Anne Bull, SMART Schools Primary Advisor, the event kicked off in early June with pupils from the 3 primary schools. Through sessions and workshops, members of the community group Liskeard Poets visited the schools and helped the children to develop their ideas for writing their poems.
This brimming creativity and confidence was evident as KS2 students from each school took centre stage, performing and reciting their original poems to a captivated audience. Fellow students, teachers, school Governors, the SMART Trust CEO, and local poets from Liskeard Poets, filled the room with keen support.
In true poetry slam style, the young wordsmiths tackled the theme of “Our World, Our Thriving Future” with a vibrant diversity of voices. From powerful calls for environmental protection to optimistic visions of the future they hope to create many of the poems echoed a passion for the planet we live on and a longing to protect it and its people from harm. Truly inspiring words, delivered by the honest persuasion of children.
Adding to the excitement, Sally Butlin, specialist music teacher from Cornwall Music Service, got everyone up on their feet singing and performing lively renditions of ‘We Are the Children’ and other catchy tunes, further igniting the students’ enthusiasm.
But the impact of this event extends far beyond the stage. The culmination of this collaborative project is a beautiful anthology titled “Our World, Our Thriving Future,” which features the complete collection of poems with entries from every student from each school.
Thanks goes to the artistic teaching assistant Rachel Bell, from Dobwalls School who did a fantastic job of creating the cover of the anthology. Staff and children alike have thoroughly enjoyed this fantastic opportunity, the quality of poetry produced is exceptional and we encourage you to purchase the anthology to see for yourself, the creativity and dedication of these young minds.
“Our World, Our Thriving Future”, is available for purchase through the participating schools and local bookshops – Liskeard Bookshop and The Bookshelf, Saltash.
To keep costs down for this publication, funding has been generously given by private donations and several local businesses.
Celebrating the power of words, the performance promoted self-expression, collaboration, and a sense of community, leaving a lasting impact on both the performers and the audience.
