The Sounds of the Heart
Join us for a heartfelt live online poetry workshop designed especially for primary students, inviting them to explore the theme 'The Sounds of the Heart'. Led by poet Bastian Fox Phelan and supported by the Red Room Poetry team, this workshop encourages young writers to listen deeply — not just to nature, but to the rhythms and voices within themselves and their communities.
In this one-hour session, students will be guided to explore the many layers of 'The Sounds of the Heart' — the emotional, cultural, and natural rhythms that connect us all. Through creative writing prompts, they will craft poems that reflect their unique perspectives and deepen their connection to biodiversity and the environment.
All poems created in the workshops can be entered into the Poem Forest prize to be published and go in the running to win up to $2,000 in prizes including vouchers, journals, and more!
Note: This workshop is for primary school grades (Kindergarten to Grade 7, depending on state/territory)
- Celebrate Biodiversity Month (Sep 1–30) and key awareness days including National Threatened Species Day, International Day of Clean Air, Blue Skies and the Ozone, World Cleanup Day, and World Rivers Day
- Develop poetry skills with expert guidance and support from the Red Room Poetry team
- Create poems eligible for the Poem Forest Prize — where every poem plants a tree!
- Win up to $2,000 in prizes including vouchers, journals, and more!
This workshop is designed for primary school students (Kindergarten to Grade 7). Teachers are encouraged to allow time for poem editing and submission via our digital entry form — a valuable opportunity to foster creativity and digital literacy.
Reserve your spot for this inspiring workshop on 2 September and help your students give voice to the sounds of the heart and Country through poetry.
About Poem Forest
Poem Forest is a free nature writing program and prize that breathes life back into the natural world that sustains us. Created by Red Room Poetry, in partnership with Wollongong City Council, Poem Forest invites students and teachers to use their words to make positive climate action. For every nature poem received, a tree is planted to help heal habitats and create a Poem Forest for future generations. Since 2021, over 22,800 poem trees have been planted.
This year’s theme, The Sounds of Country, encourages students to tune into the voices of Country — from birds and insects to leaves and water — and bring these everyday sounds to life through poetry.
