Poet
2016 Resoultions
'Tis the season to take stock and make commitments for the future.
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stop biting my nails
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be more present
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talk less, listen more
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learn to be still and calm
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update my website
2015 in Poetry
It's been an eventful year, full of wonderful opperunities, achievements, challenges and most importantly personal growth. Here's a round up of what I've been up to.
January - Pakistan
February - Graduation
I visited Karachi wiith my best mate and was lucky enough to perform at T2F as a guest of Spoken Stage. I was privileged to meet Sabeen Mahmud, founder of T2F
I turned 30 and graduated from the MA Writer/Teacher at Goldsmiths University of London on the same day. I got a distinction and came top of my class as part of the Spoken Word Educator Programme, the first of it's kind in the word. Doing an MA and being a full time spoken word educator at the Lammas School has truely revolutionised my life.
March - Food Waste
Along with Jack Morgan, Eleonora Tozzi and the This is Rubbish team, students at Lammas School created this music video about food waste. It was shortlisted for the Adobe Youth Voices award, the project won $2000 from the UNEP, featured in the Modern Farmer and has over 5000 views.
May - Poetry conference Goldsmiths
I presented with my students from Lammas School about the impact of the Spoken Word Programme. The conference organisers where moved to tears and said it was some of the best poetry they had seen at the conference.
July - NYC conference
I presented my MA theroy on poetry conncecting people with their character, community and culture alongside preeminant academics Sue Dymoke and Vicky McLeroy.
September - RTE Culture Night
I performed two poems at Meeting House Square in front of hundreds of people for a live broadcast for Culture Night 2015.
November - TEDx
Achieved another milestone! Recorded a TEDx talk in my home town of Omagh about my work as a spoken word educator. The video should be coming soon.
April - Sabeen murdered
As poets, activists and artists we can forget how lucky we are to be able to organise, speak our minds and be free to be who we are with out fear for our lives. Sabeen was shot five times and her mother was hit by two bullets as they waited at a traffic light on the way home from an event to highlight the plight of the people of Balochistan. Donate to keep T2F alive.
June - Wee Irish Tour
I toured Belfast (twice), Omagh, Derry, Galway, Dublin and Limerick. I was interviewed on RTE Radio and Galway FM.
August - WOMAD
It was techniqually 31st July but I had to get it in. I went to WOMAD as a punter in 2006 and always dreamed - one day! It was wonderful to fulfil a n ambition and perform at this legendary festival
October - Student Slam
I have been putting most of my energy into my students and after 2 years it's wonderful to see them blossom and grow. This mini-doc gives you an idea of the impact.
December - Young Writer's Award
Two of my students where shortlisted for the Muslim Young Writer's award, one won the Key stage three poetry category and the other was featured in The Guardian.