Applications are now OPEN for Spoken Word Power 2025-26!
Spoken Word Power is a fully funded project supporting Primary, Secondary and SEND schools in Barnet, Brent, Camden, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Harrow, Kensington & Chelsea, Lambeth and the Cities of London and Westminster to creatively champion the spoken word, nurture positive attitudes towards language and learning, and provide a platform for the vibrant voices of a new generation of young people.
The project makes language exciting, inclusive and fun, and develops oracy, speaking & listening, writing skills and confidence through inquiry-based, collaborative approaches, injecting joy into school life.
Have a Poet in Residence join your school next academic year to take you and your students on a creative journey from idea generation and discussion, to writing, editing and performing on a West End stage. Led by professional poets and rappers, this project engages students using creativity and provides all participating teachers with high-quality CPD sessions and resources.
To apply, please complete our Application Questions and attach this to your Online Registration Form (both are linked below).
Applications close 11.59pm Monday 23rd June 2025.
You can apply for up to three classes, however as this is a funded programme, we cannot guarantee that all classes will be offered a place on the programme.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Across the Spring Term, students will work with trained local Poet Educators to develop their very own pieces of spoken word poetry to perform in your School Poetry Slam to an audience of peers, families and teachers. Each participating class will nominate one class poet (or team of poets) to represent them at a celebratory inter-school World Poetry Day celebration at a West End Theatre. You will also receive high-quality teacher CPD workshops, and teaching resources to support your staff.
Participating schools will receive:
- 2 x Teacher CPD workshops in spoken word poetry and performance
- 5 x Spoken word poetry student workshops (per participating class)
- Performance skills mentoring and support in hosting your own School Poetry Slam
- Trip to the World Poetry Day celebration in a West End Theatre with nominated class poet(s) performing
- Your nominated class poems will be featured in our annual published Spoken Word Power anthology
KEY DATES
- Application Deadline: 11.59pm Monday 23rd June 2025
- Successful Schools Notified: Mid July 2025
- Project Begins: November 2025
- Workshops run: January-March 2026
- School trip to West End Theatre: late March 2026
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE
- KS2-KS3 classes
- Primary, Secondary and SEND schools
- Schools located in one of the following boroughs: Barnet, Brent, Camden, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Harrow, Kensington & Chelsea, Lambeth and the Cities of London and Westminster
SPOKEN WORD POWER LIVE
If you’re not eligible for the above workshops, why not sign up to Spoken Word Power Live (formerly Open Call), our free digital programme?
Spoken Word Power Live offers a free CPD session and a set of free resources, including livestreamed workshops, which are available to all schools across the UK.
You can sign up here to get your class developing original pieces of spoken word poetry, and use our Teacher Guides to help you put on your very own School Poetry Slam. All participating schools are invited to send us one poem to represent their school, to be featured in our published Anthology to celebrate World Poetry Day.
Spoken Word Power is generously supported by John Lyon’s Charity and The Portal Trust.
