*Please note this transcript is generated using an automated service and it may not be 100% accurate.
First story presents London voice.
Zoe: In these sessions, I get to express my creativity a lot more than I would in school because here, even though we are given prompts to write with, we are not bound by that set prompt, and we’re allowed to express ourselves however we like.
Ashley: Hi, my name is Ashley Hickson-Lovence, and I’ve been setting the prompts that Zoe was just talking about.
I’m a novelist, poet and former English teacher. For the past year, I’ve been a writer in residence at St Saviour’s and St Olave’s school in London with First Story, England’s leading creative writing charity for young people in state schools.
When I first met these students, they were shy, unsure, a little bit apprehensive about the idea of putting pen to paper. But I’ve seen them grow, change, develop, become more confident, engaged, excited. Really bring their real selves to the page.
This is a podcast that brings the creative voices of young people to the forefront. In each episode, you’ll hear a different writer guiding you through original poems and stories by young people. This final episode is all about odes. Odes to the sky at night, to food, music and to local parks…
Isabelle: You’re about to hear a selection of poems written and performed by students from St. Saviour’s and St. Olave’s South London.
Ellie: Hello, my name is Ellie and my poem is called ‘Camberwell’.
Well, my hair is still wet. There is a Polish bakery and I can see the sweet-smelling fat little Polish donuts on display. The chicken shop to my left has a greasy feel to it like the shop was deep, fat fried. The air has a chemical tang if you try to breathe in.
The park is littered with thousands of crisp packets. The rare patches of grass are competing with the crisp packets, pushing their green little heads through the gray soil. The whipping wind blows the rubbish around as I tried to sit on the rain drenched bench. But give up.
A homeless man sits against the wall. His face has thousands of lines in it, like time slapped him across the face and then just left him there. My bike is missing a wheel.
Favour: Hi, my name is Favour. This poem is called ‘Ode to Grapes’. It’s inspired by many different odes that I’ve read. Grapes, crunchy, delicious, juicy, seizing my hunger. You and your exquisite taste making my mouth water, crunchy or soft. Bite after bite, fulfilling my mouth, a sense of sensation.
The taste is life-changing, having a special place in the middle of my heart. The flavor, mind-blowing, immaculate, taking me to another dimension. How can something be this good?
Destiny: My name is Destiny and my poem is titled ‘How to Enjoy Listening to Music’. So the origin of this poem was that Ashley gave us a prompt about using verbs that are normally used in cooking. And because I’m someone who listens to music quite a lot, and I find that music is very comforting, I named it ‘How to Enjoy Listening to Music’.
Combine your ears with your headphones and garnish your music by mixing the equalizer to enhance your experience. Selectively measure your mood and weigh into consideration when choosing your playlist, combine your tunes with a mix of psychedelic rock or Japanese hyper wave. Personally caramelize your choice of artistry from favorites like Takeshi Abo or Wave to Earth. Choose your song and let it simmer while you cook a concoction of sound and borderline enjoyment. Let the music consume you whole while you dissolve the meaning and interpretations, making you reminisce on the distant past from the temper, or that one lyric that change your life trajectory.
Music helps me enjoy the solitude of bliss in my meal just a little bit more. Listen well and let it happen.
Ashley: Having spent the year with these students, hearing them perform out loud is wonderful. There aren’t many opportunities for students to express themselves this way, particularly in the curriculum. But research shows how important oracy is, not only for creative enjoyment but for wellbeing.
Speak for Change, The All-Party Parliamentary Group inquiry into Oracy, found that – ‘spoken communication skills are associated with self-confidence, self-esteem and emotional literacy. Oracy education can support mental health’ because it provides tools to speak out, to share their feelings, ask for help and feel understood.
This is part of the reason First Story has been working on adding oracy to its already well-established writing programme.
Sophie: My name’s Sophie. I’m the CEO of First Story. It’s been extraordinary coming into this space. And listening to the students read their own work. I’ve read a lot of student work printed in the anthologies, but listening to them actually perform their work and put themselves into their work has been really transformational.
I think it’s really powerful seeing young people able to use their voice to express their thoughts, their feelings, their emotions. And there’s something really important about practicing using your voice and feeling confident about using your voice, which is one of the things that this project has really achieved
Isabel: Hi, my name is Isabel and my poem is called, ‘My name is Isabel Eno Akpojaro’. My name is stolen, stolen from a show long forgotten by who named me. My half-brother was young and listened to what he heard, my name, common, but rare. It is like the brand, but I too am an artist like Maran and no, it doesn’t end in la, just the one I, my name is a gift.
God’s gift is true, meaning the connection to my roots. It’s if you reverse the spelling and translate to Spanish, then you are number one. According to my cousin, my name sounds like a future, like the beginning of spring before the hay fever. It is my pride. It is who I am. It’s who I could be. My name is Isabel Eno Akpojaro, and this is my mark on the world.
Zoe: Hi, my name is Zoe and my poem is called ‘Ode to the Moon’. Moon, you are my guardian angel. Can you believe they thought you were made out of cheese? Your gaze alone illuminates pathways. Can you believe some people prefer day over night? They must be insane, crazed, mad even. You lull people, with your nightly lullaby’s cry.
You bring peace. Peacemaker. You smell of the stars and you’re adored by the earth. Is it true you reflect the sun of the light onto the earth, so that silvery light you portray isn’t truly yours? I don’t mind that. To me, you alone were able to brighten up my life. You took a gift and made it your own. Though your rocky exterior might seem impenetrable I know you care. Why else would you watch us sleep? Protecting us from potential danger without you, moon, mother, serif, who would let the sun rest?
Ashley: You might think poetry sessions are serious and conducted in reverent silence. But this is a secondary school, and playfulness is a big part of what we do.
Zoe: We’ve also written silly stories, which kind of help us to perform in real life. ‘Cause if we didn’t say those silly stories in front of people, how would we be able to perform in front of an audience? Normally, I’d get a little shaky when I’d read out to audiences. But now I feel like since my voice is gonna be heard by so many different people, I’m gonna be able to read in front of people. ‘Cause there have been instances where I have read in front of an audience, but now I feel like I can do it with like a much bigger audience.
Favour: Me personally, I don’t really like reading my work in front of people, but I think this has helped me. Because maybe in the future I’ll be able to read in front of a larger audience and many people will be able to hear the work that I’ve written.
Talia: What have been some of your favourite things that have happened throughout the whole project?
Zoe: The biscuits.
Talia: Talk to me more about about the biscuits – what flavour are we talking?
Zoe: Specifically, Digestives.
Talia: With chocolate?
Zoe: Milk chocolate. And white chocolate.
Ashley: Thanks for listening to First Story Presents: London Voice. I’ve been Ashley Hickson-Lovence, your host for today’s episode.
This is the final episode of the series. If you haven’t already, check out the first five episodes where you’ll hear more work from talented young writers, as well as their insights on creativity, oracy, and what can happen when we actually listen to young people.
First Story Presents: London Voice was produced by Talia Randall in collaboration with First Story. It was mixed by Jamie Payne. This was a First Story project.
This podcast is part of the wider London Voice programme, an exciting new oracy pilot delivered by First Story, England’s leading creative writing charity for young people.
Over the course of this academic year, First Story has been working with six non-selective secondary schools in Greater London as part of London Voice.
It’s aim? To help young people develop as writers who have a voice and the skills and confidence to be heard.
Students from Hampstead School, St Paul’s Way School, Platanos College, Skinners’ Academy, Trinity Acadamy and St Saviour’s and St Olave’s Church of England School have had the opportunity to take part in creative writing, performance and audio workshops led by skilled industry professionals. This podcast is one of the outcomes of their work.
London Voice has been made possible by the generous support of The Mercers’ Company, trustee of St Paul’s Schools Foundation.
To find out more about First Story and London Voice, visit First Story dot org dot uk and join the conversation on Instagram by searching firststory_uk.
