Information About Aoife - Banbury teacher

Personal Description:

I have published four collections of poetry and a novel. I have over 15 years experience teaching creative writing and literacy in primary and secondary schools as well as universities. I have also taught internationally with the British Council. I have been poet in residence for the Royal Shakespeare Company and BBC Radio 4's Saturday Live. I have a PhD in creative writing from Goldsmiths, University of London

Teaching Experience:

Sept - Dec 2017 ‘Partition’ working with older people and students at the University of Huddersfield. National Archives, London
Sept - Dec 2016 The Writing Room workshops for young poets Apples and Snakes, London
Feb - Dec 2016 Grants for the Arts award for project with Maggie’s Centre Oxford
Arts Council England/Apples and Snakes
July - Aug 2016 Writer and Mentor for Opera Summer School Guildhall School of Music, France.
Jan – March 2016 Artist in residence at Beckenham Library Apples and Snakes, London
Oct 2015 – April 2016 Care and Comfort commission working with groups of older people.
National Archives, London
Oct - Dec 2015 Stoke Newington Heritage Mural Project,
William Patten Primary School/Hackney Archives, Stoke Newington
June 2015 Creative writing tutor in Lampton School using WWI archives National Archives
Feb - July 2015 Writer for ‘Sweat Factory’ libretto Youth Music Theatre UK, London
Feb - Sep 2015 Writer in Residence for ‘A Hard Choice’ exhibition Portsmouth Museum
Oct-Dec 2014 Writer in Residence for Artists Rifles Exhibition Gosport Gallery
Hampshire Council, Gosport
Aug - Jan 2014 Associate Lecturer on masters course in creative and life writing
Goldsmiths, University of London
May 2014 Writer/Lecturer at International Literary Festival in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi
British Council, Vietnam
Feb 2014 Imagine, literature festival for young people Southbank Centre, London
Jan 2014 ‘Winter Write’ performances and workshops for primary school students
Bladon Church of England Primary School, Oxfordshire
Nov 2013 Lecturer ‘Writing Place’ on using location and personal experience in writing
Foundation for International Education, London
Sept – Oct 2013 National Poetry Day working with primary school students
Southbank Centre, London
Sept - Nov 2013 Brent Civic Centre opening– fiction workshops with older people
Brent Council, London
Sept 2013 Escalator talent scheme workshops for the East of England focusing on nonfiction
New Writing Partnership, Norwich
Jan-July 2013 At Sixes and Sevens - workshops in secondary schools for concert celebrating Derry/Londonderry City of Culture City of London Festival/Apples and Snakes
Sept 2012 Writing Place – lectures on using location and personal experience in writing
Foundation for International Education, London
Aug – Sept 2012 Dickens News – writing project working with a mental health charity
Cooltan Arts/Charles Dickens Museum, London
Aug 2012 – Tutorials involving one to one feedback on poetry Poetry School, London
Aug 2012 Christmas Truce - mentoring Apples and Snakes, London
July 2012 Brent Young Poets Collective – workshops with young poets in preparation for slam
Brent Council, London
June 2012 Tender – workshops with young women at City Hall writing about domestic violence
Apples and Snakes, London
May 2012 Writing Our Place – conference for teachers interested in creative writing using ‘Writing Britain’ exhibition as inspiration British Library, London
March 2012 Mentor for Words A Stage – emerging poets at Soho Theatre Apples and Snakes
Feb - May 2012 Conference of the Birds – commission to write poetry inspired by older people
Spread the Word/Sutton Council, London
Jan – April 2012 Tricycle Theatre - creative writing workshops for young refugees
English Pen, London
Dec 2011 – Feb 2014 Misunderstood Monsters – poetry/music tour for children
Half Moon Young People’s Theatre/Apples and Snakes, London
Dec 2011 – March 2012 Out of My Window – creative writing workshops in libraries in Lewisham and the Horniman Museum using their ‘The Body Adorned’ exhibition as inspiration
Spread The Word/Lewisham Libraries, London
Oct 2011 – Jan 2012 Poet in Residence – commission to work with visitors and write series of poems to be exhibited in the museum Bronte Parsonage, Yorkshire
Oct 2011 – Feb 2014 Lecturer, Language and the Imagination teaching on MA course
University of Westminster, London
Oct – Dec 2011 Contemporary Contexts– teaching MA course in creative writing
Goldsmiths, University of London
Oct 2011 - June 2012 Creating the Text – seminar tutor Goldsmiths, University of London
Sept 2011 – Jan 2012 Storytelling, Poetry and Performance – lecturer Anglia Ruskin University
September 2011 Pearl River International Poetry Festival – lectures/performances in China
British Council China, Guangzhou and Chengdu
September 2011 White Night Festival, British Council Latvia, Riga
August 2011 575 Wandsworth Road workshops for young people National Trust, London
July 2011 Writers’ Tutor for Urban Arvon, The Arvon Foundation, London
May – Sept 2011 The Verb Spoken Word Talent Showcase – mentoring BBC Radio 3
April – August 2011 Young Poets Forum – workshops and performance Keats House
Jan 2011 World Words Reader – workshops, seminars and readings in Nigeria
British Council Nigeria, Lagos
Jan - April 2011 Southwark Poetry Anthology – workshops in primary schools in Peckham
Centre for Literacy in Primary Education, London
Dec 2010 – April 2011 Lead Writer in Residence South Kilburn Speaks
Poetry School/South Kilburn Partnership, London
Nov 2010 – May 2011 Poet in Residence Adelaide Road – Royal Shakespeare Company
Oct 2010 – April 2012 In Between – writer’s residency with women refugees All Change, London
Oct 2010 Well Versed commission and run seminars for teachers Writers’ Centre Norwich
Oct 2010 - June 2011 Creating the Text – seminar tutor Goldsmiths, University of London
Oct 2010 – May 2011 Writing on Location – NAWE commission in association with Museums, Libraries and Archives Council and the British Library to creatively develop teachers and museum staff NAWE/Bronte Parsonage Museum, Keighley, West Yorkshire
Sept 2010 – March 2011 Sutton Word Factory – residency Sutton Council/Spread the Word
July 2010 Under Your Skin – commission in connection with Skin exhibition Wellcome Collection
April – August 2010 Spin commission children’s poems Apples & Snakes
April 2010 My City – EU-Turkey Civil Society Dialogue: Cultural Bridges funded by the EU
British Council, Istanbul, Turkey
March 2010 - Sept 2012 Poet in Residence for Saturday Live BBC Radio 4
March – April 2010 Project Wonda – digital project in primary schools if:book, London
Jan - June 2010 Space – residency in Eastbury comprehensive school in Barking
Creative Partnerships/Apples & Snakes, London
Jan - Nov 2010 Postcards from Leather Lane – residency for the London borough of Camden culminating in an installation at the British Museum and an anthology.
Camden Libraries/Spread the Word, London
Jan – Feb 2010 Tooting Triangle Playground Creative Consultation – poetry commission and workshops with families and in a primary school Wandsworth Council, London
Jan – March 2010 Southwark Poetry Anthology – workshops in primary schools in Peckham
Centre for Literacy in Primary Education, London
October 2009 Learning Revolution Festival workshops in libraries Spread the Word
June – July 2009 Listen – commission to write, perform, run workshops in secondary schools
Samaritans/Apples & Snakes, London
June 2009 Telling Tales – workshops for primary schools in connection with exhibition of poetry for children British Library, London
May 2009 Poetry Link – poetry tour of the East of England Writers’ Centre Norwich, Norwich
April – June 2009 Inside My Magic Suitcase - workshops with primary school children and Finsbury Park Homeless Families Project to create a book about refugees
All Change/ Islington Refugee Integration Service, London
April – June 2009 Sutton Six - writing project at Sutton Mental Health Drop In Centre
Spread The Word/Sutton Mental Health Foundation, Sutton
Feb - June 2009 Teen Slam Project - Lynk Reach, London
Feb 2009 Turner Contemporary – workshops responding to ‘Patterns’ exhibition
Kent County Council, Margate, Kent
Jan - Feb 2009 Creating A Learning Environment – workshops at Stewards School
Royal Opera House Creative Partnerships, Basildon, Essex
Dec 2008- Sept 2010 Artist Development – mentoring Apples & Snakes, London
Oct 2007 - Jan 2009 Writers Club – after school group in Plumstead Manor School for Girls
Spread The Word, London
Aug - Nov 2008 Almost an Island – residency on the Greenwich peninsula Spread the Word
July – Sept 2008 Skeletons: London’s Buried Bones soundscape Wellcome Collection, London
June 2008 – June 2009 Mentor for Escalator – talent scheme for the East of England focusing on live performance. New Writing Partnership, Norwich
May – Nov 2008 Conflict and Instability Anthology – commission to write a series of poems on the theme of youth violence Lloyds/Poet in the City, London
May – June 2008 Life In The Middle Ages – series of workshops with Year 7 history classes at South Camden Community School Learning Through The Arts, London
May 2008 Meet Your Waterloo – series of creative writing workshops about Waterloo area
Lambeth Readers and Writers Festival/Lambeth Council, London
April – June 2008 Applecart – residency Oily Cart, London
April – May 2008 Let Me Out – workshops for LGBT youth to produce work for Imagine Festival
Sutton Council/Apples & Snakes, Wyvern Youth Centre, Morden
March 2008 Turner Contemporary – workshops for 14-16 year old art students responding to ‘Nature is a workshop’ exhibition Kent County Council, Margate, Kent
Feb - April 2008 New Writing Partnership – workshops in writing and performance
Writers Centre Norwich, Norwich
Feb - May 2008 Speaking Chairs – working with two visual artists and groups of young women to produce a spoken word installation Foundling Museum, London
Jan – March 2008 International Women’s Group – workshops culminating in performance
Lambeth Council/Apples & Snakes, London
Dec 2007 – June 2008 Poet in Residence Mayville Primary School
Creative Partnerships North, London
Aug – Sept 2007 Future Barking – workshops for local people creatively engaging in Barking: A Model Town Centre exhibition Spread the Word/MUF Architecture, London
July 2007 Flight – mentoring for young writers Spread The Word, London
June 2007 – June 2009 Growing Up An Alien - poetry and music show Apples and Snakes
May - June 2007 This Is Tomorrow - project with St Etienne and Lillian Baylis music students
Southbank Centre, London
Jan – March 2007 British Council tour of Taiwan, Thailand and India British Council, London
Oct 2006 – Oct 2007 The Loop – running creative writing group in Plumstead Manor School
Spread The Word, London
Oct 2006 – Jan 2007 Write Next Door – creative writing workshops Spread The Word, Havering
September 2006 Poet in Residence SW11 Literary Festival Apples & Snakes, London
Dec 2005 – April 2006 Poet in Residence Central Foundation School for Girls, Mile End
Apples & Snakes with Creative Partnerships, London
Nov 2005 – Jan 2007 Accents On Words – poetry and music show Tall Lighthouse, London
July - August 2005 Summer Project - Feltham Young Offenders Institute/Apples & Snakes
Feb - June 2004 Holby Shadow Scheme – BBC New Writing Initiative, London
Oct 2003 - March 2004 Kin - national spoken word tour Renaissance One, London
Sept 2003 Kapittel 3, Stavenger International Festival of Literature and Freedom of Speech
British Council, Stavenger, Norway
Sept - Dec 2003 The Furnace for 16 - 25 year olds Apples & Snakes with Spread The Word
Aug 2003 New Cross Gate Summer Programme - NDC/Apples and Snakes
July 2003 London Voices - performance poetry course for 12-15 year olds
Southwark Summer University/Museum of London, Rotherhithe
June 2003 Shout! (Croydon Literary Festival For Young People) Croydon Library Services
April 2003 International Youth Literature Festival tour British Council, Austria
Nov - Dec 2002 'Writers On The Storm' UK Tour Apples & Snakes, London
July 1998 - Oct 2001 General Manager Royal Court Young Writers Programme

Teaching Approach:

My teaching method is to make lessons imaginative and fun. I believe in engaging students with writing and literacy by making it relevant to their own lives. I aim to build confidence through writing exercises that help students structure their creativity. This can be particularly effective for students who struggle with more traditional approaches to teaching English, creative writing and/or poetry. It also helps to raise the bar so that students are empowered to express themselves in writing with increased fluency and style.