Growing Your Poetic Voice

Growing Your Poetic Voice is a 10-week course aimed at any writer with some previous experience of writing poetry.

This may be through a previous adult education class, a writing group, an on-line course, or self-taught independent practise. It would also be of interest to writers with experience of other forms of creative writing who would like to develop their poetic practise.

Each week will focus on a specific subject, including writing for special events, nature writing, writing for publication and more.

We will develop our work using two writing prompts each week, supported by examples of contemporary poetry, presentations to further develop writing confidence and lots of time to share work and receive peer feedback. Class members will also be encouraged to work and share other writing and to develop their own poetic voice in a safe and supportive learning environment.

Week 1 – Agreeing the course programme – how will sessions work – personal goal setting for the next 10 weeks – ground rules for giving & receiving feedback – ice breaker exercise. This session will also include 2 writing prompts and time for group members to share their work.

Week 2 – Nature writing – writing about the natural world in a time of climate anxiety. This session will include close reading of a contemporary poem, 2 writing prompts and time for group members to share their work.

Week 3 – Using constraints to free up our work – exploring the work of the Olipu school – close reading of a contemporary poem and 2 writing prompts and time for group members to share their work.

Week 4 – writing poems from other people's points of view/lived experience – this session will use some of the research methodology from my current PhD as writing prompts and there will be time for group members to share their work.

Week 5 – I don't know what to write about! – practical strategies to deal with writers block – how to keep writing when inspiration is lacking – this session will include a number of super-short writing prompts and there will be time for group members to share their work.

Week 6 – Bespoke & commissioned poetry – how to write poems for special occasions – how to research to create a bespoke poem – there will be a longer writing prompt and time for group members to share their work.

Week 7 – Finding inspiration outside if yourself – the homage poem and using visual prompts – we will use an existing contemporary poem as a longer writing prompt and explore how we can use art or photography as a springboard for our own work.

Week 8 – Editing/re-drafting and improving our work – group members will be encouraged to bring existing work or rough drafts & work collaboratively to further develop these into finished pieces.

Week 9 – Getting your poetry to a wider audience – small press publication/self-publishing/performing your work at spoken word events – this session will include practical advice and understanding how submission works.

Week 10 – Performance/reading & sharing session – an opportunity for a longer sharing session with feedback.

All sessions will include appropriate supporting presentations, examples of contemporary poetry for close reading, practical writing prompts, paired and group learning tasks and sufficient time for group members to share work their work in a safe and supportive environment.

Cathi Rae is a widely published poet and spoken word artist. She has performed throughout the UK at poetry events, arts projects and festivals. She was the writer in residence at The Bridge project and will be the poet in residence at the Bring The Paint graffiti arts festival 2024. She is currently an associate artist with WordLesta! She has over 20 years' experience of adult and community-based learning and has been delivering Creative Writing courses at Attenborough Arts Centre for the past three years. Cathi is currently working towards a PhD in poetry with the University of Leicester.