School children from all over Northern Ireland performed on the stage of the main auditorium of the Waterfront Hall this week for the launch of “Write Out Loud” an exciting anthology of poems written by the children as part of CAP’s Poetry in Motion Schools Project.
Over 700 children from thirty schools took part in the project. The children worked with eleven poets in a series of workshops encouraging them to explore their lives and imaginations through wordplay. Subject matter covered a vast range including; Human Rights, how the world works, the future, football and even Bubblegum Land! A selection of these poems was published in the anthology and the young poets read their poems on stage. “Write Out Loud” is the second poetry collection published by CAP and features schools from the primary, secondary, voluntary, integrated and special school sectors from every county.
The Poetry in Motion Schools (PIMS) programme is supported by CAP’s principal funder, The Arts Council of Northern Ireland and also Belfast City Council and The Lloyds TSB Foundation for Northern Ireland. PIMS aims to develop the creative abilities of young people and enable their poetic voice through language and image.
Conor Shields, CAP Director:
To see the confident ability of our young people, performing their own words to their peers is always a high point of our calendar. Performing on the main stage of the Waterfront Hall is no mean feat. Our young poets were brilliant. This event demonstrates the mutual respect and shared celebration that arts participation can produce.
Poetry in Motion Co-ordinator, Chelley McLear:
The poems here play in a host of ways with words, letters, rhythms or rhymes. Some of the poems here will make you laugh; some might make you cry. All will give you a view through someone else’s eyes.
