I actually have some news. Its quite old news now, but I’m still twigging to the idea of news and blogs. Whistle has been selected for the East to Edinburgh Scheme, which means, touch wood (a hoop still to jump through) a full run at Edinburgh. This is very exciting and not something I ever imagined myself doing. I’m under no illusions, that it can be tough and popped up there last year to suss it out. I lived in Edinburgh from 1978 to 1980 and loved it. In the short term this means more admin, but I hope will be the start of a national tour for the show.
In the short term Hannah Walker and I did our first Well-Versed session. This is a project trying to improve the way poetry is approached in schools. I get very nervous before school sessions, so much depends on things you have no control over and you need to be able to respond immediately, which depends on you knowing your stuff inside out. We were blessed with a gifted Year 5 class and a terrific teacher. We had a plan, about 20% of which we got through. It went remarkably well, not in a way I’d entirely imagined, but was very pleasing. We have a bit more time now, and idea of, to take it forward. I much prefer primary schools. I know some find it limiting, but I find the opposite in most cases. Its a chance to catch them before they’re locked into the right or wrong dichotomy. I feel much more relaxed having got the first one out of the way and am now actually looking forward to the others.
I will post my being local posts soon, when I stop having real news – which can’t be long away.