'Poetry gets kind of addictive'
PoetryQuest 2011/12 is a national arts project supported by Bank of America Merrill Lynch. The project links ARC Stockton, Exeter Phoenix and Half Moon Young People’s Theatre in London with 12 primary schools, 4 in each area; introducing 720 children to performance poetry.
Over the 2011/12 academic year the pupils will visit their partner arts venue and work with professional poets, venue staff and arts educators to engage with poetry.
PoetryQuest begins with a visit by participants to see contemporary performance poetry at their local arts venue. The visit not only introduces the young people to these venues, but also, with support from venue staff and professional poets, engages them with poetry as an exciting art form. This initial visit builds the foundations of a lasting relationship between the young people, schools and venues that will endure beyond the project.
Having seen poetry in performance, the participants will work on their own poetry, with support from in-school workshops delivered by their partner poets. The project will culminate with a celebratory finale event at their partner venue where the young people will perform their poems in front of their peers, teachers, families, as well as all the other adults and children involved in the project.
This programme is kindly supported by Bank of America Merrill Lynch and invlolves ARC Stockton, Exeter Phoenix and Half Moon Young People’s Theatre, London.