Word in the West poet shares some words of wisdom

A poet and artistic director of Slambassadors visited Gordano School as part of a South West poetry initiative.

Joelle Taylor worked with year nine pupils at the Portishead school to produce poems which could be performed at Bristol’s Tobacco Factory on May 15.

The visit was held as part of an initiative called Word in the West which will tour 12 schools in the region and select pupils to work alongside a professional as part of a poetry residency at local libraries from May 23-30.

Joelle also hosts National Poetry Day Live at the Royal Festival Hall each year and has worked alongside poets like Benjamin Zephaniah, Hollie McNish, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Simon Armitage and Carol Ann Duffy.

Sue Chatfield, Gordano School’s librarian said: “Joelle’s expertise and enthusiasm for the spoken word and poetic performance is infectious, and we’ve loved working with her to create some fresh and vibrant new artistic pieces during her visit. This is such an exciting opportunity for our students.”

Funded by the Arts Council England, Word in The West is a regional poetry event, searching for budding poets in schools, and working with local people to create new and exciting work.

Throughout April, six spoken word artists and stand up poets have been visiting schools in the South West, hosting inspiring workshops and working with students to create new and interesting spoken word pieces.