L-FRESH The LION at Alia College

Poetry workshops can be very random. You can never truly anticipate the outcome. With that said, as a facilitator, I like to think that the goal is to create a safe and comfortable environment where poetry can be created; where the participants feel empowered and inspired to push themselves to write effective poetry.

My workshops with Alia College were inspiring. The school and the students were so welcoming and embracing. They soaked up what I had to share and wrote some effective poetry. Each participant was tasked with writing a talismanic object poem. Each activity was a stepping-stone towards the creation of their poems.

We opened with sketching, touched on some free-writing based on some key questions about their talismanic objects, tuned into our senses and then constructed some unique similes and metaphors before piecing together some poems.

One participant wrote about his drumstick. He’s a drummer. His poem took us on a journey, as he described what it felt like to be the driving force in a band. He referred to his drumstick as a wand, and that he was creating a new world with it.

Another participant wrote about his pet lizard, which he brought to class with him. Someone else wrote about her favourite fruit: the mandarine. And another wrote about his pocket-knife; how it had been through a lifetime of adventures. He wrote about how sturdy and unique it was, how he found it to be in his possession; and what that meant to him. That participant was the principal of the school.

The day of workshops ended with a poetry reading session, where the aforementioned participants performed their poems. Many others shared their favourite poems and some shared songs.

I’m very grateful to The Red Room Company for providing me with the opportunity to share and build with the students and staff of Alia College. They have a very special school and I wish them and their students nothing but the best for the future.

L-FRESH The Lion is a poet engaged with Red Room Poetic Learning.

Hailing from South West Sydney, currently residing in Melbourne, 24-year old Hip Hop artist L-FRESH The LION has made a name for himself with his versatile catalogue and his energetic and engaging live show. He has gone from strength-to-strength, nabbing high profile support spots nationally... read more »