'Kids' Words' - Fife Poetry Project

The Aberhill Primary School Poetry Project was a year-long Creative Writing project which involved four groups of 12 participants.  Each group was made up  of seven to 12 year-olds, both male and female of mixed ability working with poet Gordon Meade.

The aims of the project were:

• to allow the participants an opportunity to express themselves creatively in their own words;
• to increase both their self-esteem and self-confidence and
• to increase their ability and enjoyment of working in a group setting.

The project culminated with two launches of an anthology of the participants' work, ‘Kids' Words’. The anthology has seven sections including some of the poems written by participants throughout the academic year.  The writing exercises undertaken by participants were chosen so that they could express themselves in their own words on a whole range of their experiences including their emotional life, their families, homes and school.  Illustrator Elph who worked with the young people to produce the artwork for the book further enhanced the project.

The following are some excerpts from 'Kids' Words': 

Sadness Sadness is blue. It looks like a dark night and it sounds like someone crying. It smells like damp snow and it tastes like a rotten apple. It feels like a cold brick. and when I am sad, I keep to myself. Donald Davies

Silence Silence is a mouse scurrying along the ground. Silence is a ballerina dancing on a stage. Silence is at 12.30 on Christmas Eve when everyone is sleeping. Silence is an owl flying through the sky. Silence is in a boat out at sea when the water is calm Silence is in space; far, far away Jade Millar

Snow If I were snow I would be as white as the clouds in the sky. If I were snow I would look like a clean piece of paper. If I were snow I would sound like a bird that is very small stamping its feet on a branch. If I were snow I would taste like ice-cream; all melted and creamy. If I were snow I would smell like fresh air in the sky. Natalie Barclay

My School Dreams The Office doesn’t like the workmen drilling. The Bistro doesn’t like all the people shouting and talking. The kitchen doesn’t like the dinner ladies dancing. The toilets don’t like soap being put down them. The cloakroom doesn’t like people knocking down coats. The library wishes it could go to sleep without the noise of the classroom. And my school dreams that the whole place was silent. Kieran Allan

The project was produced as part of ‘Actif’, an Arts Development Project made possible through Quality Of Life Funding. For more information about this work, please contact Hazel Wotherspoon, Arts Co-ordinator, Fife Council at Hazel.wotherspoon@fife.gov.uk