Buxton Pupils In Inspiring Poetry Workshop
7 March 2012
Sixteen budding poets from Buxton Community School took part in an eye-opening workshop led by local poet River Walton and Tchiyiwe Chihana, a mentor for refugee women from the Northern Refugee Centre in Sheffield, on Friday 2 March.
The 12 to 13-year-old pupils explored issues facing refugees seeking sanctuary in the UK because of war and persecution. They created poems in response to these emotive themes, which will be entered into this year's Buxton Poetry Competition.
The workshop was organised by Buxton Festival and the University of Derby. The theme for the 2012 poetry competition is Welcome to Britain, which was the source of inspiration for this engaging workshop.
Andrea Wallace, Learning Resources Manager at Buxton Community School said:
'This is the 5th year we have taken part in the Buxton Poetry Competition and we have been lucky to have River Wolton, a past Derbyshire poet laureate, run her inspiring workshops at the school again, enabling students to produce such good work.'
Claire Rhodes, Development Manager at Buxton Festival said:
'The poetry competition is open to adults as well as young people and children, but it's a real highlight for me to get schools involved with free workshops and free entry to the national competition to help foster creative talent and explore such fascinating topics.'
Anyone can enter the Buxton Poetry competition but there are only a few weeks left to get entries in as the closing date is 6 April.
The national competition is in its fifth year and received hundreds of entries in 2011. Cash prizes totalling £600 are up for grabs for winners of the adult category while prizes of book tokens are on offer for winners of the 12-18 years and 11 years and under sections.
To find out more about the competition visit www.buxtonfestival.co.uk or call 01298 70395
For further information contact Jenny Welch, Marketing & Media Officer, on 01298 70395 or at jenny@buxtonfestival.co.uk
Buxton Festival will take place from 7 to 25 July 2012. Buxton is a unique Festival, producing its own fully-staged operas, as well as showing touring operas, classical concerts and literary talks. Set within the historic spa town of Buxton, it is renowned for its relaxed and friendly atmosphere, and attracts both dedicated opera lovers and those new to the genre. Visit www.buxtonfestival.co.uk for more information, or telephone 01298 70395.
