cREATING WORDSMITHS

Our School programmes empower students to discover and develop their voices

We believe that the arts can be creatively transformative, as well as educational and entertaining. Young Identity provide great enrichment opportunities for students who want to become familiar with spoken word poetry, literature, page poetry, performance and creative expression.

Young Identity has built strong partnerships with schools, colleges, and academies across Manchester, reaching over 10,000 students. Targeting 12-18 year-olds and sometimes at bespoke university level, our programme provides coaching in poetry writing and performance through workshops led by professional poets. These sessions, available as one-off events or weekly programmes, aim to ignite passion for the arts and encourage personal expression. We focus on building self-confidence and empowering students to express themselves on both the page and stage.

We recruit students from diverse backgrounds and learning abilities, helping them develop respect for others' opinions, independence, and resilience. Through Creating Wordsmiths, students grow as artists and individuals, gaining the skills and confidence to succeed in their future endeavours.

Expressing the Anthology

Designed to enhance students' engagement with poetry featured in the National Curriculum. Our team bring their expertise to the classroom to make the poetry curriculum more accessible and exciting.

Voice and Interpretation: Using their skills in performance and interpretation, our poets bring the voices and themes of the anthology to life, making the material more relatable and engaging for students.
Curriculum Integration: Workshops tailored to align with the specific poems and themes covered in the National Curriculum, ensuring that they complement and enhance the student’s understanding.
Enhanced Learning: Students gain a richer understanding of the poetry, which can improve their analytical skills and foster a greater love for literature.

National Poetry Day / World Book Day

We offer experiences for World Book Day and National Poetry Day, encompassing performances and assemblies. These are designed to foster a deeper appreciation for literature among students, both within and beyond the school curriculum.

Performances: Poets deliver performances that bring literature to life, inspiring students through the power of spoken word and storytelling.
Educational Talks: Informative sessions that explore the significance of literature and creative arts professions, encouraging students to explore various creative mediums.
Assemblies: Interactive gatherings where poets interact with students, discussing diverse ways to engage with literature and pursue careers in the creative arts..

Poet In Residence

This programme offers the opportunity for professional poets to engage with your school community, creating art that responds to students, staff and the school environment.

Direct Engagement: Students directly interact with and learn from professional creatives, gaining insights into their processes.
Artistic Creation: Poets immerse themselves in the school environment to produce art that reflects and responds to its unique culture and atmosphere.
Creative Writing Collaboration: Students participate in workshops and activities led by poets, exploring various forms of creative writing and enhancing their skills in poetry and prose.

School Slams

A workshop programme that spans across classrooms culminating in a poetry slam showcase. The final showcase brings together staff, students and communities through writing and performance workshops led by Poet Facilitators over several weeks. Alternatively, this programme can be done across cluster schools in Manchester woth an inter-school showcase.

Cluster Workshops: Poet Facilitators conduct writing and performance workshops across a series of weeks, developing students skill set and confidence for a final performance
Showcase: Culminates in a dynamic slam showcase where participants present their original works in poetry and performance to staff, parents and peers in a supportive environment.

"The sessions were great, the feedback via tutors has been really lovely, they had a great time!"

Holy Cross College and University Centre
"An excellent session superbly managed by facilitators"

Rugby World Cup Collaboration
"The children were immersed and fully engaged."

Rugby World Cup Collaboration
"They had a really great afternoon and are going to take some of the creative writing techniques back to the classroom."

Rugby World Cup Collaboration