Adrian
Spendlow - Poet in Residence 2006 Bridlington MIND
As part of Bridlington’s Arts and Music Festival 2006. Arts and Crafts
Exhibition. The exhibition was wonderfully eclectic with wide ranging styles
and media; Schools groups and community health groups mingled their work
in with displays from evening classes and professional artists. Giving a
feel of quality and freshness. Another welcome return to Bridlington for
me, (What was I described as previously? The towns favourite son or was
it most famous son perhaps? Well people will say anything to get you to
open their exhibition), I didn’t realise till I did the press release
that I had such a busy ongoing relationship with this lovely town. I have
very seriously considered moving in since. A wonderful experience with a
great team. Thanks to all for allowing me to be part of things. I look forward
to working with you all again.
Parcel Office Arts Centre - Crafted Drama - The Press Release - Letter for the Schools
Prompts - The Heart Poems - Art Poems by Children - Art Label Poems - Adrian's Report
Bay Primary - Burlington Infants - Hilderthorpe - Hilderthorpe Juniors - Martongate School
The lists of aspects brought about the poem below. If everyone wrote (or spoke) a nice line to do with arts and crafts and what is good about them; how we can be affected by them.
The Art of Craft.
Take techniques and wonder at colour
Feel the symbols affect you that are hidden
Fly with flowers and breathe with fairies
Deft and dynamic be active and skilled
Hands are at the heart of creating
From sweets to gloves
Dress friends and give greetings
Grow in yourself and your place in the world
Just hanging tapestries; wearing jewellery
Fulfilled we can help others
Teaching, on-looking and imagining
Sail with your heart
See with the inner eye
Catch the light
Be beautiful in everything that you hold
Making life prettier
Making people happier
Making things for yourself
Point the way, Home Sweet Home, Raise a glass
Pleasure from quite moments can change life forever
Relax and remember the places you’ve been to
Recall all your heart in this one piece of clay
You can be yourself
You can reach to the angels
Entertaining never boring you have achieved
As something inside us is roused from a slumber
Wonder abounds in us all and we thank you
You as you craft are changing life rapidly
All around will be different
As we see where you dream
Let light and shadow play
Showing ways
To share, to mix, to meet, to learn
Thank you arts and crafts
We have found ourselves
And we are alive.
List
of Aspects - Go back over all of this for ways we can use it
Paintings
Scenes
Tapestries
Pottery
Painted glass and pots
Signs
Models
Boats
Clothes
Jewelry
Cards
Textiles
flowers
cookery
confectionary
Aspects
Techniques
colours
Symbols
skills
how to use your hands
confidence
I can do things
Giving
Able to help other
Giving pleasure
Fulfilling
Feel good
Making life prettier
Making people happier
Making things for your self
Life changing
Feelng arouser
Challenging
Thoughtful
Relaxing
Recalling
Reminding
Self sufficient
Contemplating
Spiritual
Showing part of your self
Where you have been
Where you drem off
Where you imagine
Fresh different
Original
Not boring
Don’t try to be the same
Something deep inside is roused
Texture
Shape
Light and shadow
That which isn’t shown
Like we pretend – we imagine with art – go somewhere
Differences in taste….
A way to share
A way to mix
A way to learn
To start to change
To find yourself
To widen your interests
To make your self interesting
Community benefits
Camaraderie
Proud of your area
Reminds of how interesting people are
Remember that people can surprise you
Life isn’t all the same
People are not just about boring things
Those you looked down on or pitied can be better than you
Bridlington
MIND Parcel Office Arts Centre
Just a quick mention of this lovely arts centre and of course a real big
thank you to all the team there. The Brid MIND group were lovely and really
made me feel part of things. I used to organise the Positive Steps Festival
in York which for about 5 years celebrated mental health so I know that
we need to encourage a positive level of mental health within us all, but
the team here excel; So happily down to earth yet open-minded and encouraging
tempered with understanding for all. Their spirit infected me from the moment
I met up with Mind representative Perrie and exhibition coordinator Sara
and started planning our day. Thanks of course also to Francis and the rest
of the team. Kathleen my volunteer who joined in the acting and helped with
any wayward ones has asked to be my permanent assistant, well whenever I
am in Bridlington anyway, so get me down there and I will bring her along.
Back to the arts centre. Just a brief line really about the Bridlington
MIND group who are lucky to be based in such a lovely but quaint venue.
I was telling my sister’s team at the York MIND shop that they are
funding a great set up (income from charity shops is pooled nationally)
with a vibrant inclusive scene that seems to empower all within the community
which is bright and breezly Bridlington. I think having the charity based
around an arts centre does make it more vibrant and other areas such as
York should take note. The old parcel office is just that, right in the
heart of the lovely old station and still with the glass of the customer
serving area looking in to the all action heart of this welcoming place.
The station is characterful and anyone travelling through to visit or go
away for a while will see everything on offer clearly and invitingly arrayed.
The old railway buildings outside by the way were chatted about by mi dad
last time he dropped me off at the station. I don’t recall what they
are now, a carpet shop or something, but they used to be the parts and equipment
issue store (or something like that). Dad was fondly recalling the driver
of the steam engine that delivered from there around the station and yards.
He was telling me all about him and the parts he would deliver and I stopped
him, “Just minute where did this train go!” Turns out it was a
miniature train, well a whole lot smaller than a regular one anyway, and
it had tracks from storage across the ‘car park’ to the station
and into the yards. He would chuff along hollering hello and out the way
there as he hauled his stuff to wherever it was needed. Whatever happened
to that little engine wouldn’t it be great if it were still running
now as an attraction very much in keeping with this town that holds its
timelessnees like an old friend.
Crafted Drama - We are going on a pretend world journey of exploring where we imagine acting out how we feel and what we see as we go on the adventure of the exhibition, and here is how we do it…
Whoh just wait
Please hesitate
Be upright straight
Strengthen your will
Till strong as iron ready
For the experience you didn’t expect
It is with, wonder and, amazement you will react
Wonderment at all the adornment and ornaments
Amazed at the ways of the maker
Take a look at the loveliness of it and
smile smile smile
Make a step with me
carefully
For all of this art
Will steal itself into your heart
Look at that – Look at that
Point with me….
Come with me
Imaginary worlds are awaiting us
Bursting right out of the minds
Of the interesting people
who have made all of this
Peep into worlds of
eye-widening magic
Peer into pictures of far far away
Picture a fairy and wibble your head about
watching it fly
Snap back to be jealous
Fancy them thinking of that before we did
Sneak past the thing
that is frightening
Laugh at the funny faced man in the postcard:
Wobbling his bottom as he walks
Wonder at the spin of the wheel as we act out;
The plying of clay as it spins and it wobbles -
Ouch at the clay that has crept up your fingernails
Head-shakey-wavy we
look in the eye of the person behind here
How did you ever learn how to - to make all this
Think of the time that this thing took to make
Nod at the knowing
and admire that person’s patience
Weave yourself dreamy
And walk all the way in your mind to the sunshine
Be proud because you bought this and skip
To the person you got it to give
If we had ever made
anything as beautiful as this
We would be proud and know that we could make
a difference in this world
We would be wanted by everyone; friendly; because we’re not boring
No well skilled
Stop
This hall is filled
With very very special skill
All at the hands of local people
Those that we know
Some that we thought were just ordinary
Many that we now see can do things
Can change things
The happiness factor
the smile that their work brings
The sigh and the smile
And the loving and cuddling and cherishing
All of it very very wonderful
And this hall is full
Brought here to show you
Sing as you bring because
for you crafters and makers
A thank you, say “Thank you”
Prompts.
Tell us how the hands moved
Tell us how the hands moved to make this
Show us the way this was made
Wave and move as you are making this
How could this come alive?
This is real now tell us what it does
Talk about how someone looks when
they get this as a present
Pretend it is real and tell us what it does
What are faces like when people look at this?
How could this make life better?
How should you feel if you have made this?
Look and tell a story
How do we move when we use this?
Tell us about how this thing is used
Tell us where you would put this and why
Show us how much you really love this
Tell us an idea you have had today
What great things does this show make you think of?
The heart poems - evolved for a popular but unusual concept well tried with other groups, and popular and an extra feature in these sessions, the Hand poems. Instead of me ‘Hand’ wrote these action poems, although as one child said at a school I visited once, “Doesn’t your hand write all the poems!” The initial concept was that here was a way to introduce performance poetry and action poems to new audiences as well as the theme oft pushed by I; that to be poetry it has to be new (rule three of three). With the art experience it struck me that if we were to open up our mind and expressive qualities we would need to look to our heart. We tend to see deep feeling coming from our heart and we can release deep feeling viewing artwork.
Here are the thought concepts from initiation:
What we see – shapes
How we react
How we move
How we feel
What we do
What might happen?
Exciting new thoughts
And here are the choices of first lines. I used one of these in front of each of the drama lines below.
And out from the heart
comes wildly flying
Out from the heart beats wild and free
From out the heart leaps flying free
Then below are the second or actions lines (of course I put a line one and a line two on each card and then the children chose a card at random).
Cruel casual cat
Until the tiger massively - leaps
Sail away around the hall and find crafts that are crafts
The power to curve and smooth the powerful clay
A Romany life with wheels and house and horse
Weave tight the words we smile at so sweet as we hang them here
Hands like little butterflies flutter, feet like marching fairies trotter
lips all little eyes always wider So cute so cute so
See the sea below it is so real we wish to paddle and step right off - the
– cliff
A shoal of dolphin
The egg to hatch
The holiday isle the sea the sun the smile
Haul the sail, stand the wave, lower the rope and
Enter the bottle - Squashed
Oh think of things that fly
Giggle we will at rudey nuddies
Think of the thing that comes live
It is hard when we are frightened of trying
so see the one who has finished their picture and
hug hug hug
Ah - Here are the rules
The concepts of original thought and a novel approach make this poetic.
The distilling down into brevity enriches the process. Consider the guidelines
above as you ‘look at’ a crafted object and create a short piece
that can be acted out and that includes the reaction to the thing. All of
this can be picked up by reading a few examples and getting the children
to imagine; by pointing out quality areas where the child has grasped the
process instinctively.
Start by recalling objects from the visit till each child can clearly recollect
one thing that affected them.
See the lists of crafts types and aspects and perhaps consider my golden
rules;
1. Rules are iffy
2. It has to be new
3. It is not a story
It is by going beyond the strict guidelines that new ways of writing are
developed and we all know the poem that is strictly speaking perfect but
so predictable that it bores.
Originality is at the core of poetry, if it has been said before it is not
poetry it is copying, (of course reference, pastiche and ‘after’
could cause debate here, but that would miss the point of focus)
Rigid timelines, littoral descriptiveness and a concrete reality are not
necessary in poetry. The sentence, grammatical ordinariness and flowing
structure give way to essence and feel.
Rhyme, of course, is not needed for a thing to be poetry.
Adrian Spendlow is currently working on a writer’s guide of poetry forms for Hopscotch Educational Publishers, has just produced two CD-Roms of his work for children and is well known throughout the country for his unique action poetry. He is no stranger to Bridlington either, having performed at Sewerby Park Orangery, The Town Hall, the Parcel Office Arts Centre and The Spa as well as visiting schools around the town and outlying areas. His community work has seen him work alongside Mike and Diane Wilson, Bridlington Mind, Library Services and The National Association of Writer’s Groups for who he has acted as competition judge. Through his work for the Persula Foundation he has performed for elderly, visually impaired, and special needs groups. Having been born here he has even been described as Bridlington’s most famous son! Many of the poems written with him while East Riding’s Writer in Residence for Bridlington are displayed on Michael Thornton’s Bridlington Website.
Adrian says of his residency, “An all too brief but wonderful experience that re-introduced me to this lovely town and her people and visitors.”
Adrian will be working with five classes, building an ever growing poetry display from the work of all visitors, meeting and talking with callers and inviting everyone along to experience all the exciting work that has been done during the week at the final performance from the children and Adrian.
Performance poet Adrian Spendlow brings excitement and action to poetry. Your visit to Leisure World during Bridlington’s Arts and Crafts Week will explore writing, poetry, drama, creativity, and the actual art on display in a celebration of the beauty of Bridlington.
Follow on work will be supplied on a CD-Rom of poetry and ideas and we invite you to return copies of your further writings for display.
Children are also invited, with their family and friends, to Leisure World on Wednesday evening where they can join in with Adrian for the final exciting performance.
Here are some of the poems produced by Bay Primary. The first poem was displayed in the entrance to ’warn’ visitors what to expect.
See what you feel like
in here
Move slowly
Surprise at the painting
Gobsmacked;
You will smile
I think there is someone in there
Things are speaking to you
Dance like the legs
Pots here make tea
Run fast from the tiger
Sneak, it’s a leopard
Look slow – Be excited
Oooo I am interested
So many
And how big
Amazement
At paintings
Impressed with the art of the drawing
This is enjoyable
It is nice
Look out for the goose – the angel
The planets – knitted snakes
And – that – head
Be excited
Be astonished
Be scared - maybe frightened
Be beautiful
Be happy
Picture Ladies…
Walk out to see us
Spooky moving slowly
Picture people
Strange
And can jump out of pictures
Be scared
Don’t believe it
Or
Jump out of the window
Spooked-out shock on our faces
“Run!”
And they say
All soft and creepy,
“We’ve come to see you
Are you having a nice time?”
Burlington Infants wrote lots of poems: many of these included here were written by following the commentary of two girls who instructed me around the hall with occasional visits from one boy to chip in.
Evening Walk to Sewerby
Go up this way
To Sewerby
Mud flaps
Raindrops hanging on
Like snakes
Little man feeding things
Mud and water – Trees
Nice picture
Take your shoes off
Lighthouse spurs
Lights Flamborough
Don’t crash boats
Against the rocks
Faded colours
Into grey
(From paintings from Wyke Lodge)
Hokusai Water
Lots of waves
Are splashing
Waves and waves and waves
Splashy
Water volcanoes
Splat out
Get the boat
(From paintings by Hilderthorpe)
Wrapped Up
Wintery we keep wrapped up
Buttons on the button man
Buttoned up
He likes it when its sunny best
Gets all hot
Paper Tiger
Copy that tiger
Stripes
We like the leopard
He’s all spots
Feel the paper
Nice and smooth
The Tiger is rough
Don’t like it
This one is rough
A squirrel with its nuts
Dancing and that
All clipped together
Don’t like that
man
He lives in the dark
In the black
Back in the olden days
All the faces
Didn’t have colour
Telly didn’t
Didn’t have any telly
Just the radio
This man
Don’t like him
In the dark
Skies
It’s a day
Nice and sunny
Bright
I like
Feel this
Look at this
Feels nice
Like the sky
Christmas sky
Snow of gold
We and the Queen Like
the Fairies
The queen of the land
We like her
Nice and glittery
Reminds us of the fairy: She
Has wings she can fly
Wearing pretty lipstick
Pretty dresses we like
Cuddle me – Cuddle her
Pretty pretty,
Flower fairy
Stone Sun
This stone sun
Face inside it
Make spikes –
They are nice
Pencil end makes eyes
Smooth Tricks
Smooth
Like a handbag
Like a scarf
A necklace for your neck
Boing Boing
The whole thing boing
Mix very hard
With middle bits all soft
Use different fabrics and tricks
Smooth
Quilt for the Ill
Quilt
When you are ill
Get a bucket
Snuggle up
Till you are sick
Snuggle up Till you are well
Cosy quilt
Pictures
Hang them up
It is good
Bird Box
Bird boxes need a hole
They have a stick
To stand on
You can hang
Hang them up
Then
Live in them
Hilderthorpe Infant and Junior
Interesting snakes
With ribbons on
Colourful
Long trunks
Broken tree trunks
Muddy grass
Made
By elephant’s feet
Priory Church
Is that Priory
on a Sunday?
Happy
Glad
Like a garden
An allotment
Big colours
Big sunflower
Trees
Lovely vegetables
And plants
Priory Sunday
Scary head
Scary teeth
Big and starry eyes
Shadows of deer
Africa
Was wood
Still is wood
Father Christmas
Flying by
High over stones
Wooly snakes
Giggle
They have ribbons
With weird looks
See the snow
Throw snowballs
Might tipple over
Looks like a tornado
Put this round your
neck
Like a necklace
They are very gentle
Put something metal on them.
Heart Flies
Who’s that dancing
Show a leg
And let me join you
Little old lady
Collects on the window-sill
Cat careless plays
Spills all her treasure
Acrostic to finish
Brilliant beaches
Running rainy rain
I see icy incredible ice cream
Dirty donkeys – dudey donkeys
Lollipops; lovely – Leisure world; swim …..
Prepare to feel
Emotions you
Have never felt before
Step through
Happy amazement
At beautiful things
Turn your day
Upside down
Be jealous;
You didn’t do this
Be scared – Freaked out:
The face of an eagle
Dancing metal hares
The knitted snakes;
Sly and frightful
Be astonished
Coming out of nowhere
Laugh at fat pigs
Ducks don’t care
Kids laugh at poets
On leaving believe
Wow – Woah – Be well
Hope to come again
You will want to return
No
Never leave
You feel
Inspired.
Look at all things
It’s brilliant
Enjoy yourself
The paper heads will talk to you
There are scary hippie people
Show signs of excitement
Spinning excited and happy
“Go and see my granddad’s work!”
Watch out
A scary head
Things jump out
There is a killer monster
Inside my mind
Fish – Cheesecake – Spots
Come in there’s some excellent sculpting
Jump into the woods
There are strange shadows on the wall
It is all in artwork
Even the story of Jesus
Come and see the dogs
Be cosy
Be a puppy cuddled up
Hi
Go inside
It’s brilliant
Idea
Get the clay
Put on a board
Roll in hand
Make eyes
Put on a card
Shape the nose
Shape the lips
And teeth
Let it dry
Until it’s hard
Then we paint
A vampire!
Old Doll
Washed doll
Find
Knitting needles
Wool – pattern
Knit clothes
Doll happy
Give
Play with
Art Poems by Children - Written to accompany artwork. Some of it so simple that it has the power to change the world.
Lovers
Feel loved
Dolphin Splashes
Starfish twirl
Waves come up carry you
Cowboy face
Red forehead
Wrinkles, baggy cheeks
Squashy, soft, spiky, scratchy beard
Kind, shiny eyes
They dance every time
you come near
Stinky, colourful feet
Legs:
Dance when you giggle
Legs in jail
Headless
Legs alone
Dotty, pretty, wow
Big blue sky
Joyful to see
(The Leopard)
Town on fire, scared
Colourful pattern fireworks
Halloween party, scary masks
Tinsel moustache
Chalky old plastecine
Magic planets
We’re on the moon
Waiting for Wee Willy Winky
Vampire spooky
Great big teeth
Water so bright –
Fish is golden
Katie Morag looks surprised
Scare you
Surprise you
Carnival masks
Wave
Like a monster
Portraits of elves
Textiles
Cosy warm
Bags
Jump on arm
Move about
Looks; feels like cold
stone
Smells bad
Aliens from another world
Queen glittery
Heads bite – No teeth
Devil masks
Eating juicy fruit
Splendid, proud
Great big sky
Blue and shining
With gentle white clouds
May2006
These art label poems were created mainly drawing on the comments and thoughts
of the children as I eavesdropped and were subsequently displayed around
the exhibition with the poems they related to.
Those Legs
Don’t dance with them
They kick
But take their
Essence of dance
With you
As you flow.
Puppy Snuggling Picture
Cuddle in
The smell is wonderful.
Children Picture
The spirit of these children
Still plays
And waits
Walk well
With their hearts
Forever here.
Aboriginal Art
Dotty crocodiles dance
Into my heart
And I thank you
Knitted Snakes
Scary to some kids – cute to others
Floppy flumpy lumps.
Skater
Happy on the ice of life
Confident we go
Hope never lets us down.
Deep Woodland
Funny little men
Live n here
Never seen before
Not now or ever
They
Are made of
The roots of trees
And they are
Very cross about it.
Gavel-Man Carvings
Ancient genes
Of long lost creatures
Rot and fall
To feed the tree
Okarama one day tumbles
Wood
Becomes
The shepherd
Carved for us.
Blue Angel
Hold me
My eternity
Fills
With all emotion.
Stone Head
Many children felt
The whole figure
Buried
Would climb out soon.
Soft Clay
Put this round your neck
Like a necklace
They are very gentle
Put something metal on them
A kangaroo perhaps
Or more nicely
Hang
Marshmallows
Adorn your neck.
Adrian's
Report.
Fives schools visited in all, well six if you count New Pasture Lane School
who sneaked in to say hello to me while visiting the Butlins Remembered
exhibition next door.
Burlington School brought along around 20 younger children on the Monday
morning fro a school I know well. Two years in a row I have been commissioned
by them to create poetry dramas on a theme for interaction with the children.
Full details of these are on this website if you want to have a browse but
basically the first year I created a series of action poems for the younger
children and we went on to perform, very bravely, to the whole school. The
following year I returned to work with the same children on the topic of
weather in an all action blockbuster of a poem series that had them dizzy
with excitement and action. Now here we were meeting up again, albeit new
children.
Hilderthorpe Juniors finished the day and as with each group they created
a welcome or even warning poem for display at the exhibition entrance (Displayed
in here too). There lines included the warning that you will never want
to leave and I can agree with the sentiment.
Martongate School brought along their group of year fives on the Tuesday
morning and set to with an introduction to the event which had an uncanny
effect on the town of Bridlington! Their poem included the line Come and
see my Granddad’s work - It’s brilliant and as we were stood outside
proclaiming this to the whole of the seafront the actual granddad himself
happened to be stood right there!
Bay Primary in the afternoon brought another lovely bunch of kids who imagined
the ladies jumping out of the pictures!
Hilderthorpe visited again on the Wednesday but this time with year 2 kids
and from this group came on of my favourite art epigrams if the visit; looking
with interest at the woodcarving area someone wrote - Was wood Still is
wood.
Just a quick mention of New Pasture Lane School who paid us a quick visit,
shame they couldn’t be there for a session. Mind you it is also a shame
I wasn’t involved in their project for the Butlins exhibition too,
but you can’t get everywhere can you. It was lovely to see them managing
to pop in as I have worked there previously. Sessions on seaside have gone
down really well there (and did I visit there with my Poetry Pirates?) as
did the recent Numbers Project for the Creative Context initiative. A very
special thank you also to the lovely staff member who came back as a volunteer
on the open evening and was very encouraging. Hi.
