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A Special Podcast from Butetown
Listen here to the first Young People’s Laureate for Wales podcast coming live and direct from Butetown, Cardiff featuring Ali Goolyad aka Ali the Poet, hosting Young People’s Laureate for Wales Martin Daws in the Paddle Steamer Restaurant working together on the Young People’s Manifesto for Wales.
It was so beautiful to work in a naturally cultured environment in the Paddle Steamer through Saturday morning and lunch. As we hung out, talked, reasoned, wrote and recorded ourselves the restaurant filled up with men from the community in Butetown; playing pool, watching the match, eating delicious Somali cuisine, and sharing those links of person, culture, religion and family which keep a community vibrant and strong.
Massive thanks and respect to Ali Goolyad, Ahmed Yousef, Sultan Ismael and Ahmed Hassan for recording with us. There were so many echoes and reflections of what I believe a poet should be; a voice for a community and a catalyst to bring the community to voice.
Martin Daws – May 2013
Martin Daws: workshop with Archbishop McGrath High School
Part of the Young People’s Manifesto project.
Walking in to the atrium foyer of Archbishop McGrath High School was like living in a video advert for an architects vision of how a school should look. The students seemed to flow up and down the stairs, the sunlight from the circular skylights illuminating them. Inspirational quotes and large scale art works focused me. Somehow, the air felt clean.
What followed was even better. We worked intensively with a group of 50 students for 90 minutes to have fun writing poems about where we live, and to interpret what that environment means to us.
Massive respect to groups 1 and 2 year 8 English. Their poems were truly amazing and provided the best start to the Young Peoples Manifesto Project I could ever imagine.
Martin Daws, May 2013
A day in the life of the Young People’s Laureate
In his busy and buzzing new role as Young People’s Laureate for Wales, Martin Daws recently led three workshops in one day, in Llanfyllin and Welshpool. These workshops form part of the Young People’s Manifesto project. Here he reports back on what happened.
Workshop at Llanfyllin High School
A brilliant afternoon with Yr 10 pupils working on the Young People’s manifesto for Wales. We focused on our environment and where we live – yes we did the ‘Infamous Under the Slates Poetry Pub Quiz’ and ran on into our pieces. Llanfyllin is a market town in an very rural and agriculturally focused area. Our poems reflected this. Extracts coming soon.
Powys Young Carers at Welshpool Youth Centre
Early evening session with 3 very gifted young people from years 6,7 and 8. We went straight into a writing exercise focused on where we are from and it became very creative with everyone writing about something completely different – keeping safe, a favourite teacher (Ms Owen from Llanfyllin High School) and family.
Behind the happiness, pictured above: written by Bethan
Gaba Youth Project at Llanfyllin Youth and Community Centre
18 young people ready, willing and exceptionally able to write a Young People’s manifesto for Wales! We did the Nationally Aclaimed ‘Infamous Under the Slates Poetry Pub Quiz’ and had a great time doing it – making this remarkable found poem out of some of the answers as we went.
new life starting on the barren rocks
emotion exploded – quarried - forgotten
lost single prayers hidden and blown from the heart
crushed bones crushed hearts
forgotten dreams forgotten people
sowing seeds on the skeleton of the past
We went for a political focus in the writing exercises and created four powerful group pieces that we recorded for the Young People’s Manifesto for Wales. More soon!
Young People’s Manifesto
Workshop with Powys Young Carers in Ystradgynlais
A writing workshop after school on a Friday? Are you sure anyone’s going to come to this?
Yes, and they were brilliant. 8 young people from years 6-9 worked with me, and Lucy from Powys Young Carers, to develop poems for the Young People’s Manifesto. The group had never worked together before so we played some games to introduce ourselves and get into having fun together, then we did the ‘Infamous Under the Slates Poetry Pub Quiz’ and then we wrote some of our pieces.
Here are some extracts:
Before the nothing
The bored,
The not to do,
The empty,
The out,
There is a blank……!
by Kayla
In the house
The mother
The father,
The family,
The trust,
The safe care,
Where there is a heart,
A heart that beats in my body,
A heart that I call home!
by Calicia
These pieces, and more, were recorded and will become part of a wider Young People’s Manifesto that we are creating. It will be unveiled in June – watch this space!
–Martin Daws – May 2013
Workshops with Martin Daws
Martin is looking forward to meeting young people across Wales as part of his new role. There are two ways in which teachers, community leaders and promoters can book Martin for a workshop, talk or performance with young people aged 11-25.
1. National and Regional Projects
As Young People’s Laureate, Martin will be delivering a number of projects that work regionally and nationally. Martin’s first project as the Young People’s Laureate for Wales will be the Young People’s Manifesto, taking place from 1 May – 19 June.
This innovative project gives young people aged 11-25 the opportunity to creatively explore crucial themes of citizenship, culture, language and landscape. It is an opportunity to ask questions, voice opinions and create a vision for a future Wales, and to develop skills in creative writing and self expression.
Applications are now open to receive a workshop with Martin as part of this project. As this is a national project we have regionally allocated days in Martin’s calendar, throughout May 2013, to visit groups.
The deadline to apply is Tuesday 30 April. We anticipate that Martin will be in demand for his first project, so while we cannot guarantee that every group who applies will receive a visit for this project we will certainly keep your details and contact you with future opportunities.
Please click here for more information
and to apply to take part in the Young People’s Manifesto project.
2. One-off / independent visits
Martin can also be booked to deliver a workshop in your school, community, venue or anywhere else, separately to the national and regional projects.
Workshop organisers can apply to Literature Wales’ Writers on Tour Funding Scheme for financial support towards Martin’s fee to deliver a session with young people. Through this scheme, Literature Wales can support up to 50% of a writer’s fee for appropriate events. An application for support must be made at least 4 weeks in advance of the workshop.
Martin can be emailed on thepoetmd@hotmail.com if you would like to discuss potential workshop requirements / themes / ideas with him.
Please click here for more information
and to apply to the Writers on Tour scheme.
If you have any queries, please contact Literature Wales:
029 2047 2266 / post@literaturewales.org
On the morning of his announcement as Young People’s Laureate for Wales, Martin Daws gave an interview to the BBC Radio Wales breakfast show. He performed his poem ‘Together’ live, followed by a short workshop in beatboxing for the radio presenters and discussion about enabling young people gaining transferable skills through literature.
Click here to listen to the interview.
‘Bridging under visions with rhythm we pull together.’ – Martin Daws
“A poem for everyone; a poem in everyone.”
Performance poet Martin Daws announced as new
Young People’s Laureate for Wales
Literature Wales is delighted to announce the appointment of award-winning live performer and poet Martin Daws as the new Young People’s Laureate for Wales, 2013-2015.
The Young People’s Laureate Initiative gives youth communities across Wales an important platform from which to develop their own creative voices and discuss the issues relevant to young people today. Martin will use a wide range of disciplines, from sonnets to sound-scapes, and beat-boxing to broadcasting, to engage the next generation with literature like never before. Forthcoming projects will include working with young people to create their own poetic manifestos, a summer day school for writers and youth leaders on delivering accessible literature activities, and a pop-up poetry tour of Wales’ more rural communities.
The two year appointment recognises Martin’s many years of experience in delivering issue-based education through creative techniques. To date over 17,000 people have participated in his workshops in all kinds of environments including classrooms, theatres, woodlands, festivals, universities, museums and even bus stops.
Martin Daws said: “I am very pleased to be given the role, and relish the opportunity to celebrate our poetic traditions in the best way I know how – by nurturing the next generation of young Welsh poets. It is my belief that there is a poem for everyone, and a poem in everyone, and as Young People’s Laureate for Wales I’m excited to offer every young person in Wales an opportunity to find those poems.” Click here to read his full statement.
“I am absolutely thrilled at Martin’s appointment as Young People’s Laureate” said Lleucu Siencyn, Chief Executive of Literature Wales. “His energy both as a performer and workshop facilitator will make literature a vibrant, appealing and relevant artform for young people in Wales today. Creative writing is a vital expressive tool – and through Martin’s encouragement, many more young people will gain the confidence to make themselves heard.”
Tracey Thompson, Youth Worker at Gwersyllt Night Project in Wrexham said: “Working with Martin on the Eat My Words project was a positive experience for both the staff and the young people from the Gwersyllt Project group. It introduced the group to new things, took them out of their comfort zone, gave them new skills and increased their confidence…this project has altered their perception of poetry and inspired them to write more.”
Bestselling novelist and Young People’s Laureate for Wales 2011-2013, Catherine Fisher, said “I would like to wish Martin Daws every success as the new Young People’s Laureate for Wales. I am sure his enthusiasm and energy will encourage many more young readers to engage with the exciting world of books and poetry.”
Martin, in his role as Young People’s Laureate, joins the new Bardd Plant Cymru who will be announced at the Urdd Eisteddfod on 28 May. The Bardd Plant Cymru (Welsh-language Children’s Poet Laureate) works closely with children all over Wales to inspire and promote a love of literature in the Welsh language.
Forthcoming activities
Martin will be tweeting daily via the Young People’s Laureate Twitter account, @YPLWales, giving young people and adults alike the opportunity to converse with him and take part in an interactive twitter-poem which will grow in multiple directions each day. Follow the twitter link on the right to join the conversation.
He will be offering a number of workshops in May, both in person and online, as part of the Young People’s Manifesto project. These workshops, aimed at youth groups, young writers’ groups and secondary schools are available by application through Literature Wales, with a deadline of Tuesday 30 April 2013. Click here to visit the project page and find out more.
For any enquiries regarding the Young People’s Laureate appointment, please contact Literature Wales: 029 2047 2266 / post@literaturewales.org
Tags: Literature, Manifesto, Martin Daws, Music, Performance, Poetry, Young People's Laureate
The Young People’s Manifesto
This innovative project gives young people aged 11-25 the opportunity to creatively explore crucial themes of citizenship, culture, language and landscape. It is an opportunity to ask questions, voice opinions and create a vision for a future Wales, and to develop skills in creative writing and self expression.
Throughout May, young people are encouraged to contribute a word, line, verse or even a whole poem, written in the language of their choice, towards the creation of Wales’ first Young People’s Manifesto. Once compiled, the Young People’s Manifesto will be showcased and presented at a special event held at the Pierhead Building, Cardiff Bay, on Wednesday 19 June.
A film and recording of the manifesto will also be available online at www.youngpeopleslaureate.org following the showcase. This will be the beginning of many plaforms for young people to present their views, hopes and dreams creatively as part of the Laureate initiative.
Get involved
Workshops in schools and communities
Young People’s Laureate Martin Daws will be offering a number of workshops for schools and youth groups as part of the Young People’s Manifesto project. In each workshop, Martin will work with participants to create lyrics, lines of poetry and phrases responding to a number of themes. These snippets will then be recorded and become part of one big Manifesto, contributed to by young people across the whole of Wales.
Dates
Workshops for South Wales: Wednesday 8, Thursday 9 and Friday 10 May
Workshops for Mid Wales: Tuesday 14, Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 May
Workshops for North Wales: Tuesday 21, Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 May
If you would like Martin to visit your school or youth group, please download the booking form below and return via email to Literature Wales: post@literaturewales.org with ‘Young People’s Laureate workshop booking’ in the subject line.
Young People’s Manifesto – workshop booking form
Closing date for applications: Tuesday 30 April.
Please note, this form is an expression of interest rather than a concrete booking.
Literature Wales will contact you by Friday 3 May to confirm whether you have received a workshop.
Online workshops
Martin has also devised an online tutorial for writing your own poetic manifesto. So if you can’t wait until May, please click on the link below to download this resource. The tutorial also contains details for submitting your work to the project.
Online workshop for Young People’s Manifesto (English Language)
Online workshop for Young People’s Manifesto: CYMRAEG (Welsh Language)
For further details please contact Literature Wales: 029 2047 2266 / post@literaturewales.org
An Important Announcement Coming Soon
On Wednesday 10 April, Literature Wales will announce the name of the new Young People’s Laureate for Wales. The new Laureate follows bestselling novelist Catherine Fisher, who undertook the first Laureate role from 2011-2013. Catherine’s work has influenced several projects as part of the initiative, including the films and soundtracks created by young people in the Afan Valley, inspired by her novel Incarceron.
Literature Wales would like to thank Catherine for being Young People’s Laureate for Wales, and the team of writers, partner organisations and young people who have taken part so far.
From Wednesday 10 April the website will display full information on the forthcoming activities of the Laureate. This will include opportunities to book a visit from the Laureate, projects, online workshops and much more.
Please check back then!
Make Some Noise: The Album
We are delighted to launch the first album produced as part of the Young People’s Laureate Initiative.
Make Some Noise features 8 tracks written and performed by more than 100 young carers across Wales. Please listen to the tracks below and share them – they are written for young people and adults alike, using a contemporary, strong and passionate poetic voice to explore the theme of Identity.
Bridgend Young Carers
Caerphilly Young Carers
Flintshire Young Carers
Monmouthshire Young Carers
Newport Young Carers
Pembrokeshire Young Carers
Powys Young Carers
Torfaen Young Carers
Album produced by Kevin Michael.
Copyright Literature Wales 2013. All rights reserved.
