Using ?cool? information technology to teach ?boring? poetry inspired one group of young people in a Nottingham school. Photographer Andrew Robinson explains how the project worked.
In the spring of this year, alongside poet Mark Goodwin, I delivered a series of creative writing sessions entitled ?Poetry and Pictures? at Ellis Guilford School and Sports College in Nottingham. We developed the project through collaboration with English teacher Caroline Hallam to explore new ways to approach literacy.
Using digital technology, we facilitated a series of creative workshops working with 15 year eight pupils to produce and combine photographic images with written and spoken poetry in an attempt to improve their engagement with literacy. As one student commented: ?Cameras are cool, poetry?s boring.? In truth, they found poetry intimidating rather than boring. While students lacked confidence in their speaking and writing skills they were enthusiastic and confident in the use of the cameras. In one exercise, images of the school environment taken by the students were used to promote creative writing. After discussions, they worked in small groups with their results to create vocal performances that were then recorded, added to the images and shared with the class. Written material from this session was later reused as raw material to inspire a more imaginative approach to image-making. Students then edited and sequenced the resulting photographs to produce a creative work combining image and text.
In another exercise, students worked in pairs exploring the use of captions. One student would find a subject of visual interest and photograph it in an interesting way before their partner produced a creative response to the subject in words. This was then written on a strip of card added to the subject, and a second photograph taken to include this built-in caption. Through this work we were keen to explore the potential for cross-pollination between written and visual imagery. We hoped that through using cameras to produce and sequence images and illustrate text, students would develop their literacy skills and transfer both ideas and enthusiasm into the written work that followed. The use of digital rather than film cameras added an important immediacy to the process. In a two-hour session, students were able to produce written material, use this to inspire image-making and then edit and present the resulting images and text to the class. In a similar way, students who lacked confidence in reading their work out loud, especially in front of the group, were happy to have their recorded voices played to the group. Again this was made possible by recording onto computer and playing back via a digital projector and could thus be achieved almost instantly. Another important element of the sessions was the review and discussion of the work produced. Our aim here was to validate the student?s work and present it back to them in a professional and inspiring way. Again information technology allowed the work produced within a session to be instantly reviewed and presented on a large and impressive scale. After the sessions were completed, the wealth of digital material produced was collated as a celebratory digital anthology which has since been published in book form in an edition of 100 copies by Creative Partnerships, Nottingham.
In general it would seem that whilst some students may have low confidence and self-esteem in their speaking and writing skills they are often confident and able to demonstrate and develop these skills when they are facilitated through information technology and digital media. Standing and speaking before a class presents a problem, however being interviewed, or interviewing others on microphone or camera is greeted enthusiastically.
Andrew Robinson is a photographer working with Creative Partnerships Nottingham. e: andrew-r@beeb.net
What is Creative Partnerships?
Creative Partnerships is a government-funded programme delivered through Arts Council England, that aims to give schoolchildren in deprived areas throughout England the opportunity to develop creativity in learning, and participate in cultural activities.
Its vision is based on developing long-term partnerships between schools and cultural and creative organisations. These include architects, theatre and dance companies, historic buildings, musicians and online designers.
Sixteen Phase One partnerships were established in July 2002 as an initial pilot for the programme. The programme was then extended to cover 36 areas, which are currently being rolled out. The programme is funded through the DCMS (with some additional funds from the DfES) and delivered by Arts Council England. Funding for the programme is currently confirmed until 2008.
www.creative-partnerships.com
COMING UP..
In Issue 106 we take a look at Creative Partnerships CARA (Creativity Action Research Awards) ? a programme of over 140 projects investigating the impact of creative collaborations on pupil learning and uncover some early findings.