Stephen Murray from Inspireland facilitated an online poetry workshop with Transition Year students on Thursday 28th January. The workshop was every bit as much an exercise in wellness as it was in poetry. The two and a half hour workshop encouraged students to write without judgement, grades or barriers. No subject matter or language was taboo. Stephen showed students that poetry is rebellion and honesty of expression. He quoted that 5 of executed rebels of 1916 were in fact poets. Students realised that poetry is all around them : online, in songs they listen to, in films and series they watch, in video games they play and in the street cart they admire.
Stephen empowered our students to discover their voices. They are poets of a generation writing about issues that affect them directly: loss, loneliness, self-image, equality, bullying, social media, identity and so much more. It was definitely a great opportunity for our students and opportunity with which they engaged wholeheartedly!