Project Case Study
Name of Project:
Westminster Poetry Slam
Background:
East-Side has been working with Westminster's schools effectiveness group for a number of years to offer schools the opportunity of being involved in an annual poetry slam. 12 schools take part annually in hosting poets' visits into their schools and two teams of students compete in the slam each year. This poetry slam is judged on content and performance by a panel of judges.
Details:
Teachers are unanimously proud of their schools contributions to the slam and are all agreed that the competition has a very positive impact on their students. Spoken word performance really has a power to reach students. The winner of this year's slams and leading his school's cheers by leaping about on stage was one boy who maybe had even more reason for celebration than his peers. The young man in question had responded extremely well to the poets visit and offered to read out a rap he had composed. East-Side's Literature Officer thought nothing of it until it transpired that the student has special needs and has great difficulty with reading and writing. The reaction of his classmates was positive the boy is usually teased or left out, but there was evidently new-found respect for the student and he went on to write another rap, rehearse it rigorously with two friends and put on a winning performance at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.