02 May 2020

Posted by Charlotte Waugh

I am

Group one- 29 in attendance

Group two- 27 in attendance

Can you envisage yourself as the star of your own blockbuster hit? Which memorable event in your life is particularly Oscar worthy? These are just two of the questions we asked the Young Writers this week as they turned particularly dramatic, funny or unexpected life events into the synopsis for a brand new film.

For example the emotions and drama of the last day of primary school or an epic water fight during summer may form the basis of an exciting new movie. This event was then manipulated to mimic a film synopsis with the Young Writers scoring the starring role, creating suspense and drama through their writing.

The original synopsis’s were then shared with the group and feedback was given. We heard everything from a horror about a killer printer to a film about an average girl with a flute superpower!

From movie worthy life stories to personal poetry, we then focused on “I am...” poems inspired by The Delight Song of Tsoai-talee by N. Scott Momaday, a contemporary Native American poet.

From this, we specifically focused on how we could alter the meaning of the line “I am a polar bear” by focusing on specific descriptive elements of the animal. The chat section was used to share everyone’s own interpretations, creating a beautiful collaborative poem incorporating all 29 members! The finalised poem is posted in the images below.

Livvy also sent across her poem ‘I am’ inspired by this brief which we are thrilled to share.

I am

I am the rhythm of a drum making my mark,

I am the vibrancy of a saxophone echoing in the streets,

I am the riff of a guitar taking the lead,

I am the presence of a trumpet making an entrance,

I am the elegance of a flute dancing in the wind,

I am the keys of a piano making every note,

I am the paintings on a maraca bringing colour to the party,

I am the swiftness of a violin jumping around like a hare,

I am the beat of the heart and I live life to my own rhythm.

Livvy

The second group were challenged with an altogether different version of self reflection, as they focused on how the objects around us view us as people. The Young Writers chose an object from their surroundings and described what it sees and how the object would physically describe them and their personality.

Inspired by ‘I am limitless’ by Lina Abojaradeh, the Young Writers used a similar model, inputting their own ideas and findings from the previous self reflection exercise. Below is the model we used in case any of you at home might want to try!

FIRST STANZA

I am (2 special characteristics that you have)

I wonder (something of curiosity)

I hear (an imaginary sound)

I see (an imaginary sight)

I want (an actual desire)

I am (the first line of poem repeated)

SECOND STANZA

I pretend (something you actually pretend to do)

I feel (a feeling about something imaginary)

I touch (an imaginary touch)

I worry (something that bothers you)

I cry (something that makes you sad)

I am (the first line of the poem repeated)

THIRD STANZA

I understand (something that is true)

I say (something you believe in)

I dream (something you dream about)

I try (something you really make an effort about)

I hope (something you actually hope for)

I am (the first line of the poem repeated)

The young writers shared their poems with the group, we even had one read aloud in both English and Spanish!

Linking in quite nicely we focused on another aspect of identity, based on the poem ‘Where I’m from’ by George Ella Lyon. We shared many poignant pieces that explored our roots and the places that made us who we are today. Below is a beautiful example by Evelina that was written during the session.

Where am I from?

I do not know.

Is it from the place of my birth?

The place I took my first breath on this earth?

And yet I do not know the language

As a child to remember it was quite a challenge.

Where am I from?

I do not know.

Is it from the language that I speak at home?

Yet never have I stepped a foot on this land, for me it is unknown.

I do not feel as though I'm part of it

So here I am with my identity split.

Where am I from?

Is it the place I live right now?

The place in citizenship I made my vow.

But it feels not like home. It is not my safe place.

So as you see a challenging case.

But I can say that I do know

My home is where I always go.

My home is with my family and friends

It stands not still, it has no ends.

My home is truly with my creator,

His home for me will be so much greater.

Evelina

As discussed during last weeks session, Artful scribe and Mayflower Theatre have a new and exciting competition to diminish boredom and inspire creativity during these uncertain times...

Young Writers are invited to submit personal accounts of ‘life in lockdown’ up to a maximum of 1000 words or poetry up to 40 lines. We’d love to hear how lockdown has affected your daily life, the highs and lows of lockdown living, and how your thoughts and opinions have altered through changes resulting from social distancing measures. Where were you and what were you doing when lockdown was announced? What emotions did you experience, and how have these changed over time? What unusual experiences have you had or shared with your families?

There is no ‘right’ way of approaching this competition. What’s important is the story you tell and how you tell it. Successful entries will be published in a ‘Life in Lockdown’ anthology and winning submissions will be awarded book vouchers of £50, £25, and £15 for each age category. Responses can include non-fiction, fiction, and poetry. The competition is open to writers aged 11-14, 15-18, and 19-25.

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