Performance poetry
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What is the course about?
The course is about exploring and discovering performance poetry, also known as spoken word poetry.
Students say: "The tutor is enthusiastic, personable and good at what they do"; "enjoyable and challenging"; "inspiring and entertaining"; "great fun - I learned lots and would do this again.".
What will we cover?
- The spoken word and how it differs from the written word
- How the spoken word works
- Conventions of the spoken word
- How to use the rules and conventions and how to break them
- Finding your own style/delivery.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
- Write a spoken word piece
- Perform your pieces in front of an audience
- Be critical and accept feedback.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
The course is for those new to performance poetry/spoken word, with or without previous poetry experience.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
Activities, visual and audio aids, writing, discussion.
All writing courses at City Lit will involve an element of workshop. This means that students will produce work which will be discussed in an open and constructive environment with the tutor and other students. The college operates a policy of constructive criticism, and all feedback on another student’s work by the tutor and other students should be delivered in that spirit.
For classes longer than one day, regular reading and writing exercises will be set for completion at home to set deadlines.
City Lit Writing endeavours to create a safe and welcoming space for all and we strongly support the use of content notes in our classes. This means that learners are encouraged to make their tutor and classmates aware in advance if any writing they wish to share contains material that may be deemed sensitive. If you are unsure about what might constitute sensitive content, please ask your tutor for further clarification and read our expectations for participating in writing courses at City Lit.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
Writing materials.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
City Lit offer a range of poetry courses at a range of levels. Browse the writing section of the website to find the perfect course for you.
All students are invited to join us at Late Lines, our regular performance night for City Lit writers. Students are also encouraged to submit their work to Between the Lines, our annual anthology of creative writing. For the latest news, courses and events, stay in touch with the Department on Facebook and Twitter.
Dr Megan Beech is a literature scholar and performance poet. She was the winner of the Poetry Society’s SLAMbassadors national youth slam in 2011. She has performed at venues including the Royal Albert Hall, Parliament, the Southbank Centre, Glastonbury Festival and Cheltenham Literature Festival. Her debut collection 'When I Grow Up I Want to be Mary Beard' was published in 2013, and her latest book 'You Sad Feminist' was released in 2017. Her poetry has featured on the Sky One's 'Russell Howard Hour' and the BBC iPlayer series ‘Women Who Spit'. She was featured in The Guardian lists of ‘inspiring young feminists in 2014’ and ‘Must Read Books of the Year 2014’ and Evening Standard's list of 'Ten 21st Century feminist icons'. She has recently finished a PhD at the University of Cambridge.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
