Week 1: Poetry Is Not A Luxury

The first session will explore ideas about why poetry matters and how it can help us navigate uncertain times. We’ll learn how to adopt a beginner’s mindset, discover new voices, broaden our tastes, and experiment with different ways of reading a poem.

Week 2: Tattoos on the Heart 

This week we'll focus on listening to poetry and on learning poems by heart. We'll dip into the slam scene, exploring different styles of performance poetry and consider ways of borrowing creative inspiration from others.

Week 3: Everyday Matters 

Our third session will be about finding magic in the mundane and fortifying ourselves with small moments of beauty: noticing the sunlight as it falls across a wooden floor or the sound of water as it's poured into a teapot, appreciating the small kindnesses in a waiting room or tiny epiphanies that can happen in the supermarket.

Week 4: Finding The Words 

The fourth session will focus on developing habits and practices for doing something creative every day. We’ll explore the challenges of working in imperfect conditions, defying inner critics, seeing and growing what’s good, and persevering with creative habits even when we feel like giving up.

Week 5: Sharing the Joy 

The final session is a collective celebration. We’ll share the fruits of our new habits, and marvel at just how many different ways our group have found to bring more poetry into both our own and others’ daily lives.

Our aim is to offer you a well planned and supportive learning experience for the lowest possible fee.

A limited number of concessionary places are available. Using the code ‘concession’ will give you a third off the course fee when checking-out. Please only use this discount if you are sure you would not otherwise be able to attend.

Sophie offers two bursary places on every course she runs. You are welcome to contact her to request one.

ABOUT SOPHIE

"I’m an artist and activist living in the UK. My work explores the relationship between justice and joy.   

In the face of so much destruction and division around the world, I’ve found the best way to stay hopeful is to make things, many of which you can see browsing this website. 

I’ve had an eclectic career spanning the arts, activism, social enterprise and government. I was Co-Founder/Director of The School of Life, Faculty Lead at Year Here, Head of Education at iniva and Curator of Public Programmes at Tate. I’ve worked as a Special Advisor on Social Action for the UK government, and taught or mentored hundreds of social entrepreneurs and activists. I collaborate with organisations committed to social and environmental justice, exploring how we can move together towards a world that works for all. 

After two decades in creative change-making, I’ve seen both how inspiring and how draining it can be to keep fighting the good fight. Today, much of my work focuses on individual and collective resilience. With my partner Sarah, I run Turadh, a project providing spaces of rest and renewal to people working in the third sector in Scotland.

I am the author of several books, including Looking at Trees, The Mindful Photographer and Street Photography Now. My new book, Everyday Wonder, will be published in Spring 2025.  

At the heart of everything I do is a commitment to restoring wisdom and compassion to our troubled but beautiful world. I’m supported by inspired teachers and strong peer communities, and I’m open to conversations with others who want to meet these challenging times with courage and imagination. "

Sophie Howarth