This year Morecambe poetry festival extended its impact into schools with a visit to Castle View primary academy by Michael Rosen and by funding two days of workshops with poet Louise Fazackerley and Young Write Out Loud. Before the festival Louise worked in two schools, Bolton-le-Sands CE primary school and Castle View primary academy. 

As part of her work in schools Louise taught the children a flashmob poem about human rights which was performed by children, families and passing poets at Morecambe library lduring the festival on Saturday morning. The event was originally planned to take place outside the library at our pedal-powered poetry tent but with frequent downpours forecaste we brought the event inside.

Louise said: "I've travelled with the Pop-Up Pedal-Powered Poetry Tent before (try saying that after a few pops) and it's been glorious to watch cheerful young people jump on one of bikes to generate the electrcity to power the music and the PA system for the mic. Not only are we saving the planet, we're making sure everyone can hear our poems spoken out loud. This is so important when children and young people perform - you want to hear those small voices saying big things."

And saving the planet (someone needs to!) was certainly a recurring theme amongst the young poets who worked with Louise to produce group and individual poems on topics as wide-ranging as animal cruelty, if life was free, litter less, what is war and grumpy parents.

 

IF LIFE WAS FREE ...                                         

 

Gift cards would be pointless

People would end up drowning in stuff 

People would have so much stuff

They wouldn't think it was enough

 

Do you think that crime would end?

There could be fewer people in cuffs

Do you think we would end homelessness?

Would life be less tough

So people wouldn't have to sleep rough?

 

We could own the world 

But would we do things for love?

 

by Windermere class 

Bolton-le-Sands CE primary school 

 

The children's and young people's work will be on display in Morecambe library from October. We look forward to working with more children and young people around the festival next year.