True Grit is a poetry cycle for the digital age. As one of the Yorkshire Festival’s three

themes, True Grit has invited a selection of the region’s best performance poets and

spoken word artists to respond to the meaning of the phrase “true grit”.

Digital poetry in its simplest terms is the fusion of poetry and technology. Using a

range of new technologies, poetry is recorded and digitalised, preserved in cyber-

space and available to all. It can combine words, images, videos, movements and

interactivity to create a new form of poetry. Digital poetry is a fluid form, not only

because it is a relatively new form of literature (mostly post 1990) but because it

overlaps into literature, art, film, performance poetry, sound poetry, hypertext fiction,

and installation art. Check out some examples here.

This resource challenges students to create a word art digital poem, a performance

poem, a digital poetry film and to explore their own landscape through poetry and art.

True GritDigital PoetryENGLISH, ART AND DESIGN, COMPUTING, DANCE, DRAMA, PHOTOGRAPHY, MEDIA STUDIES, CREATIVE

WRITING, FILM STUDIES, PERFORMING ARTS, EXPRESSIVE ARTS

With cross-curricular opportunities for PSHE and HISTORY

Key Stages: Foundation to KS5

depARTures

A still from the film We Are Poets by Alex Ramseyer Bache and Daniel Lucchesi

Using the depARTures learning resource:Yorkshire Festival 2014 fills the 100 days leading up to The Grand Départ of the Tour de France with

world-class music, dance, theatre, film, art, sculpture – and much more. This resource provides a range of

starting, or 'depARTure points', for teachers (and others working with children and young people) to plan

learning activities that capture its excitement and innovation.

DepARTures resources are designed as light touch – sparking ideas that can be developed or incorporated

into schemes of work in schools and used in a wide range of out-of-school learning contexts.

A set of creative challenges is presented, differentiated for key stages, and each with an indication of the

subject areas covered (although this is only a guideline and can be easily adapted).

Links to the National Curriculum 2014 and examination syllabuses are suggested.

Extension tasks demonstrate how the work could extend into different subjects, wider school or community

settings or longer projects.

Arts Award and depARTuresArts Award inspires young people (5 to 25) to develop their arts and leadership talents. Having completed

Arts Award adviser training, teachers can support students to achieve the award at five levels – four

accredited qualifications and an introductory award.

DepARTures resources enable schools to develop their Arts Award offer with arts organisations and back in

the classroom; see how the activities can be mapped to the Arts Award framework here.

Artsmark and depARTuresArtsmark is Arts Council England’s flagship programme to enable schools to evaluate, strengthen and

celebrate their arts and cultural provision.

By planning, facilitating and evaluating depARTures activities with your students, your school could take a

significant step towards making an application for Artsmark.

Working with museums, galleries and arts organisations Venues, organisations and individual artists working with schools will be able to complement depARTures

activities.

Click here for sources of information about what's on offer to schools in Yorkshire and Humber.

page 2 depARTures capeuk True Grit www.yorkshirefestival.co.uk

depARTures capeuk True Grit page 3www.yorkshirefestival.co.uk

Northern poet, writer and comedian Kate Fox,

creative writing and performance poetry organisation

Leeds Young Authors, Hull-based spoken word poets

Joe Hakim and Mike Watts and Sheffield-based poet

and workshop facilitator Joe Kriss will each produce

a poem based on the theme, which will be performed

and filmed as a digital poem. These will offer a wide

range of starting points for budding young poets to

create their own work. The poets will run workshops

in six locations across Yorkshire, and performances of

the poetry produced will be filmed. Check here for

details of the workshops and to see the poems and

films as they are produced.

This resource will focus on the approaches of Leeds

Young Authors and Kate Fox to producing poems,

and will give starting points for young people to

explore their own performance and digital

poetry skills.

Kate Fox

Rheima Robinson, Hannah Robinson, Saju Ahmed and Jamal Gerald of Leeds Young Authors. Photo Khadijah Ibrahiim

page 4 depARTures capeuk True Grit www.yorkshirefestival.co.uk

Challenge one Create a word art digital poem Computing, English, Art and Design

Is this a poem? Yes – it’s a piece of digital poetry by Jason Nelson, an expert in the field. Visit his

website and play one of his interactive poems, Series Eleven or Five.

Digital poetry can take many forms, including where the words are expressed through visual

representation. Kinetic typography and animation have become important expressive mediums in

the rise of digital poetry, and in this challenge, young people can engage creatively with words,

bringing poems to life through animation or word art, using new technologies or more traditional

artistic materials.

Some key stage differentiations and curriculum links

Foundation/KS1: Students at this level could create a very basic digital poem, by creating large letters or

words which they then “animate” themselves, by moving them manually. The letters could make up a word

related to cycling. This can be filmed by the class teacher to make a digital poem. Students might use ICT

software suitable to their abilities to animate words if possible. Alternatively, the students could be

introduced to animation at this level, by experimenting with flipbooks, creating simple animations, which

again could link to cycling.

Curriculum Links: KS1 NC Computing: ‘use technology purposefully to create, organise, store, manipulate

and retrieve digital content’. KS1 NC English Reading: (year 1) ‘appreciate rhymes and poems’, (year 2)

‘pupils should be taught to discuss their favourite words and phrases. Writing: (from year 2) ‘writing

poems’.

Phot

o:J

ason

Nel

son

KS2/3: Students could look at how words can be animated, for example in this version of “Help” by The

Beatles. Students could use presentation software such as PowerPoint or Prezi, write their text and then

animate it, to bring the words on and off screen. Use the theme of True Grit for the students’ poems, and

explore the perseverance needed to participate in the Tour de France. Poems should be written first as a

writing activity and then animated, or the students could use one of the existing True Grit poems as a

starting point. As a simpler activity, students could experiment with making word art either on paper or on

a computer (it doesn’t have to be animated), still linking to the festival theme.

Curriculum Links: KS2 NC Computing: ‘select, use and combine a variety of software.’ KS3 NC Computing:

‘undertake creative projects that involve selecting, using, and combining multiple applications’. KS2 NC

English Reading: (year 3 and 4) ‘discussing words and phrases that capture the readers’ interest and

imagination’, (year 5 and 6) ‘pupils should be taught to identify how language, structure and presentation

contribute to meaning’. KS3 NC English Writing: ‘stories, scripts, poetry and other imaginative writing’.

KS4/5 also Media Studies: Students could create a more advanced digital poem, by first writing a poem

based on the theme of True Grit – using poetic and rhetorical devices – and then animating it with

presentation software such as PowerPoint or Prezi. Students can experiment with adding image, music or

video into their poems to make it more effective. This could perhaps be used as a piece of coursework for

Media Studies or ICT.

Curriculum links: As an alternative to writing, the students could explore a curriculum poem, such as one

from the GCSE or A level anthologies, using computer technology and art to demonstrate and articulate

their understanding and interpretation.

Extension activities: Digital poetry could be used to explore the themes of cultural identity presented in

Migration and Journeys, another depARTures resource that reflects on the idea of “true grit”. Alternatively,

students’ animations could explore the theme of cycling by creating words that move like a bicycle.

Involving parents and the local community: Students could make their own digital poem at home,

involving members of their family or local community. Alternatively, the digital poems could be uploaded

to a secure social media site where they can be shared with parents and the community, and even perhaps

entered into a “digital slam”!

For more information and starting points

• Smile for London – UK writers who made short 20 second animated poems for the London

Underground

• Secret Technology – Jason Nelson’s Digital Art and Poetry website

depARTures capeuk True Grit page 5www.yorkshirefestival.co.uk

Challenge two Create your own performance poem – take it from page to stage English, Drama

Performance poetry or slam poetry is poetry specifically designed to be performed aloud, using

“slam rhythm” – a personal rhythm. According to Khadijah Ibrahiim, artistic director of Leeds Young

Authors, performance poets need to write about what they know, something that’s personal to

them. Young people are encouraged to write their own poems and then perform them, although a

great starting point would be to experiment with performing an existing poem!

‘It’s like knowing the poem inside out, that poem is 100% your emotion. It’s like becoming that

poem – it’s more than writing it, it’s giving that poem the time and attention it deserves.’

Saju – Leeds Young Authors

Some key stage differentiations and curriculum links

Foundation/KS1: Students at this level could begin with playing word games and drama warm up games

to help them experiment with performing using words. Using some visual cue cards, the students could

play a simple version of One Word Story – a story is created with each person in the circle saying one word

each – and they could also play rhythm games, clapping to the beat the teacher starts, and changing the

rhythm, to experiment with keeping time.

Curriculum links: KS1 NC English Spoken Language: ‘pupils should be taught to participate in discussions,

presentations, performances, role play, improvisations and debates’.

KS2: Students can play drama warm up games such as Catch a Story, One Word Story, Zip Zap Boing or

Kate Fox’s wod game on page 8, to warm up, and then try some tongue twisters. Then they can listen to

the poem Poetry Jump Up by John Agard, and as a class or in small groups, perform the poem by altering

their pitch, pace, and volume and adding gestures and movements. Experiment with choral speaking and

movement, and solo and group performances, to see which is most effective.

Curriculum links: KS2 NC English Reading: (year 3 and 4) ‘preparing poems and play scripts to read aloud

and to perform, showing understanding through intonation, tone, volume and action’. Writing: (year 5 and

6) ‘perform their own compositions, using appropriate intonation, volume and movement so that meaning

is clear’. Spoken Language: ‘pupils should be taught to participate in discussions, presentations,

performances, role play, improvisations and debates’.

KS3: Research plays a key part in a creating a great poem. Students could research their local area, the

Tour de France, or think about what “true grit” means to them. After a poetry writing session, students

could follow the exercises above to warm up and then experiment with how to perform their own poems.

This could be a paired task – they could highlight the key words or phrases, and try emphasising these,

then add gestures and movements to make the poem into a real performance. It can take “true grit” to

page 6 depARTures capeuk True Grit www.yorkshirefestival.co.uk

stand up and perform in front of peers, do they have it?

Curriculum links: KS3 NC English Spoken Language: ‘improvising, rehearsing and performing play scripts

and poetry in order to generate language and discuss language use and meaning, using role, intonation,

tone, volume, mood, silence, stillness and action to add impact’.

KS4 also Expressive Arts: Students could use poems from the literary canon or poems from the GCSE

anthology as a starting point to experiment with performance poetry. After playing some warm up games,

they could work in groups to read a poem, find an interpretation that is personal to them, and highlight

key sections. They can experiment with vocal and physical delivery, incorporating rhythm, choral speaking,

pitch, pace, tone, volume, gesture and movement. As a creative writing activity, students could work with

the stimulus “true grit”, writing poetry that creates a personal response to this theme, and using the True

Grit Digital Poetry films as inspiration. Poems could then be developed into performance pieces, again

employing the performance strategies described above.

Curriculum links: GCSE English Poetry anthologies. AQA GCSE English, Unit 3b – Producing Creative Texts,

controlled assessment task “Journeys” (could be used as a starting point for a poem). AQA GCSE

Expressive Arts, controlled assessment (performance poetry could be used as one of the art forms).

KS5 also Creative Writing and Expressive Arts: Students at advanced level could take on an independent

project of researching and producing a poem based on the theme “true grit”. This could encompass

research of the local area, research into cycling, and a personal response to the phrase. Students could

experiment with writing for performance, as a different form to writing poetry for print, taking part in

performance workshops, playing word and drama games and experimenting with physicalizing their work.

Curriculum links: AQA A Level Creative Writing, unit 2 and unit 4. AQA A Level Expressive Arts. AQA A

Level English Language B, unit 2 – Creating Texts.

Involving parents and the local community: Poems could be shared with parents or the local community

in a performance evening, or the students could work with local community groups on the creation of the

poem, perhaps involving a local writer or author who could lead a workshop. Click here for information

about authors offering workshops to schools.

Extension Tasks: The performances could form part of an assembly on the Grand Depart, or on the theme

of True Grit. They could extend into PSHE exploring the personal quality of “true grit” and the need for

young people to develop this skill; the performance poetry model could work with a range of topics for

creative exploration.

For more information and starting points

• Teacher’s Toolkit on running slam poetry sessions

• Leeds Young Authors performing BOX at the Brave New Voices Slam competition in Chicago, 2009

• Apples and Snakes – poetry with bite. The UK’s national performance poetry organisation

• Poetry By Heart, a national organisation for performing poetry in school competitions

depARTures capeuk True Grit page 7www.yorkshirefestival.co.uk

Challenge three Create your own digital poetry film English, Art and Design

The longevity of digital poetry lies in its encapsulation on film, and all the poems written by the

commissioned artists for True Grit Digital Poetry will be recorded in this way. Shots of the poets

performing their poems will be interspersed with footage of the local landscape. There are several

examples of great poetry which has been filmed, and students could use this along with the

commissioned artists’ recordings to create their own digital poetry film, either creating one of an

existing poem or capturing their own performance work as created in Challenge 2.

Some key stage differentiations and curriculum links

Foundation/KS1: Students could perform a simple poem chosen by the class teacher, which is then filmed

in interesting locations around the school. Or, students could create visuals, for example colouring words or

images to represent sections of a poem, which are then perhaps filmed and set to music. Curriculum links:

KS1 NC English Spoken Language: ‘pupils should be taught to participate in discussions, presentations,

performances, role play, improvisations and debates’. Reading: (year 1) ‘appreciate rhymes and poems’,

(year 2) ‘pupils should be taught to discuss their favourite words and phrases’. Writing: (from year 2)

‘writing poems’.

KS2: Students could write a short poem, perhaps using a Haiku or Tweet structure, and then collectively

the poems can be filmed in interesting locations around the school, to make a class film. Alternatively a

poem could be chosen by the teacher and a film could be made by the students using this pre existing

material.

page 8 depARTures capeuk True Grit www.yorkshirefestival.co.uk

Tila and Tavelah Robinson of Leeds Young Authors – a great example of performance poetry turned digital

Curriculum links: KS2 NC English Spoken Language: ‘pupils should be taught to participate in discussions,

presentations, performances, role play, improvisations and debates’. Reading: (year 3 and 4) ‘preparing

poems and play scripts to read aloud and to perform, showing understanding through intonation, tone,

volume and action’. Writing: (year 5 and 6) ‘perform their own compositions, using appropriate intonation,

volume and movement so that meaning is clear’.

KS3/KS4: As an extension of Challenge 2, students could film their own poems, choosing interesting

locations around school or their local area. Alternatively, students could use props, costumes and sets to

create a film of an existing poem, perhaps to bring to life poetry from the GCSE Anthology, or to digitialise

a canonical classic.

Curriculum links: KS3 NC English Writing: ‘stories, scripts, poetry and other imaginative writing’.

KS5 also Media Studies, Creative Writing, Film Studies: Using editing software, students could film and edit

together a True Grit poem, either using the audio of a poem with visuals of the local area, or finding

images of “true grit”, such as sporting perseverance. Students could brainstorm different situations where

they have either displayed or seen “true grit” and could storyboard a short film which shows this. Students

could use the poetry from Challenge 2, or use the words of the commissioned artists as their starting point

for their True Grit digital poem film.

Curriculum Links: This could be an extension of AQA A Level Creative writing or AQA A Level English

Language B coursework, or could be used for Media Studies and Film Studies coursework.

Involving parents and the local community: Films could be shared with parents or the local community

at an exhibition, or shared online via a safe social media site. Students could make the focus of their film

their family, exploring how their family have “true grit”, which then could be shared back in school.

Extension activities also PSHE, History: Students could create a film to be used in assemblies or to teach

other students about “true grit” or The Grand Départ. A film could be made to explore a PSHE topic or a

particular period of history. There is the potential for cross-curricular links in exploring specific topics

through poetry.

For more information and starting points

• We Are Poets, a film based on the poems created by Leeds Young Authors

• Smile for London, poems by famous UK writers made into 20 second short films for the London

Underground

• A digital poem from Tila and Tavelah Robinson of Leeds Young Authors

depARTures capeuk True Grit page 9www.yorkshirefestival.co.uk

page 10 depARTures capeuk True Grit www.yorkshirefestival.co.uk

Challenge four Explore your own landscape through poetry and art

English, Art and Design

‘Find your own landscape: is it concrete, is it fields, is it towerblocks?

Every place that someone is living in has a story. Write yours.’Saju, Leeds Young Authors

A key aspect of True Grit Digital Poetry in Yorkshire Festival 2014 is exploring the landscape of

Yorkshire. The poets responded with a personal vision of True Grit but also with landscape

embedded in their work. True Grit workshops will explore landscape as a starting point for poetry;

young people could use poetry to make sense of and explore their own landscape.

Watch the Leeds Young Authors in their piece We Are Poets, where landscape is explored visually,

and through the words of the poem.

Some key stage differentiations and curriculum links

Foundation/KS1: Students could go on a walk in their local area, and collect natural materials to make

an artwork, exploring their landscape. Or on the walk, students could make a film of their local area,

suggesting words that they feel relate to the particular place – the film and words combine to make a

beautifully simple digital poem!

Curriculum links: KS1-2 NC English Spoken Language: ‘pupils should be taught to participate in

discussions, presentations, performances, role play, improvisations and debates’. Reading: (year 1)

‘appreciate rhymes and poems’, (year 2) ‘pupils should be taught to discuss their favourite words and

phrases’. Writing: (from year 2) ‘writing poems’.

Still from We Are Poets

KS2: Students could create a mind map of their local area or, for a simpler activity, visual stimuli of the

local area could be provided. Students can write single words or phrases on pieces of paper describing

their local landscape, which are then stuck or strung together to create a poem.

Curriculum links: KS1-2 NC English Spoken Language: ‘pupils should be taught to participate in

discussions, presentations, performances, role play, improvisations and debates’. Reading: (year 3 and 4)

‘preparing poems and play scripts to read aloud and to perform, showing understanding through

intonation, tone, volume and action’. Writing: (year 5 and 6) ‘perform their own compositions, using

appropriate intonation, volume and movement so that meaning is clear.

KS3: Students could research the history of their local area or a specific landscape or landmark. This

research could then be used to write a poem based on the landscape. A way of structuring the poem could

be to use the Five Sense exercise: students imagine standing in their local landscape and write five

sentences about what they can see, hear, touch, taste and smell there. The True Grit Digital Poetry artists’

poems could be used as a stimulus.

Curriculum links: KS3 NC English Writing: ‘stories, scripts, poetry and other imaginative writing’.

KS4/KS5 also Photography and Creative Writing: What does your Yorkshire look like? Students could carry

out a photography or writing project based on the theme “My Yorkshire”. They could research local artists

who have made work on the landscape, such as David Hockney. Words and images could combine to

create an exploration of their local landscape. For a creative writing focus, images could be provided for

students to respond to through imagery, the senses, and descriptive language. For more of a visual project,

students could produce their own artwork, and then combine with words.

Curriculum links: GCSE/A Level Photography. GCSE Art and Design coursework. AQA GCSE English

Language, unit 3b – Producing Creative Texts, “Journeys” (landscape of a journey explored). AQA A Level

Creative writing. AQA A Level English Language B – coursework.

Involving parents and the local community: Work could be used for display or to promote the local area

at either an assembly or presentation evening. Local stakeholders could be contacted and students’ work

could be displayed in local businesses.

Extension Tasks: Students could target a local area that has historical significance or is undergoing

regeneration. Their work could form part of a larger local project in the community, or be part of an

assembly on the local area, regeneration and legacy etc.

For more information and starting points

Students could research local artists who produce landscape art, or visit some of the many local art

galleries. As a starting point you could look at the landscapes of Jane Walker and Stephen Todd .

depARTures capeuk True Grit page 11www.yorkshirefestival.co.uk

page 12 depARTures capeuk True Grit www.yorkshirefestival.co.uk

Feedback

Share your students' depARTures achievements:

• by Twitter – @Yfest2014, @capeuk, #bepartofit

• on Padlet. Please ensure that you secure the appropriate permission for images and video to be

published on the internet, noting that Padlet is visible to the public and accessible by search engines.

Tell us what you thought of the depARTures learning resource

• complete the questionnaire

CapeUK is an educational trust that promotes creativity in the lives of children and young people –

preparing them to face the future with imagination, innovation and life skills. It is also the Arts Council

Bridge organisation for the Yorkshire and Humber region

This resource was devised by Carolyn Booth in collaboration with CapeUK.

depARTures was created for Yorkshire Festival 2014 which is supported by

the Arts Council of England, Yorkshire Water, Welcome to Yorkshire and the Yorkshire Local Authorities

depARTures