Soul Speak! The Art of Writing Performance Poetry with Anna D

Course Summary

This full day in-person workshop will explore the key techniques and poetic devices for writing engaging and meaningful spoken word poetry. Focussing on structure, rhythm, rhyme and use of metaphor participants will craft poems for performance. The technical skills of performing will be explored, equipping participants with the skills to write and deliver powerful spoken word. The workshop is suitable for complete beginners or for practising poets to upskill their craft and branch into performance spaces.

Course Outline

The day will consist of exploring the following:

• Soul Speak!
• A brief intro and history of spoken word as an artform. How to use personal experience to speak from soul when writing poetry for performance.
• Writing Techniques, Structure and Poetic Devices
• Using rhythm and rhyme. Creative use of metaphors/similes. Structuring a poem using looping.
• Performance Technique
• How to deliver your work with effective use of pause, pacing, tempo, rhythm, flow, conveying emotion and body movements.

Throughout the workshop we will study examples of well crafted spoken word, listening and responding. We will engage with writing exercises so that participants come away with a piece of spoken word poetry devised using the techniques learned.

Course Outcomes

Anna D is a spoken word poet from Dublin. She has won multiple slams and competitions including the All-Ireland Poetry Slam 2023. She has competed and performed her work internationally at The European Poetry Slam in Slovakia and Ideogramma International Poetry Slam in Cyprus. Anna has won an award to develop her debut spoken word collection ‘Roots in Every Room’ into a multimedia stage show and her work will be published in two spoken word poetry anthologies released this year.