Poetry in Performance

Off the Page - A playful approach to poetry in performance

Are you harbouring a crush on spoken word? Maybe you write, maybe you want to write, maybe you just get on the YouTube - either way, this class will be a safe and creative space for you to express your own stories. With the international spoken word scene expanding like a soufflé, the poetic communities of Aotearoa are going from strength to strength. Using a range of poetic forms, we will reach across communities and between disciplines to find the voices of our young storytellers - voices that are authentic, silly and critical. 

TUTOR: SARA HIRSCH

Sara is a Rānana / London grown poet and spoken word educator now based in Aotearoa. She is a former UK Slam Champion, third ranked in the World Slam Championships 2014 and winner of the European Poetry Slam in Madrid 2016. Sara has performed at Glastonbury, is a TEDx speaker, has featured on the BBC and toured extensively both in the UK and internationally. Sara holds a Master’s in Creative Writing & Education from Goldsmiths University and is Education Director for Motif Poetry. Sara has directed Amy Atkins in the award winning clowning show 'RAW! ASMR', travelled to Malaysia and Singapore to teach spoken word, co-produced Windswept Poetry Slam and facilitated poetry workshops alongside past New Zealand poet laureate Chris Tse. Sara is currently based in Tāmaki Makaurau , and is raising her two sons to be as silly as possible. Sara has had the privilege of working with many alumni from the NYDS poetry course in professional settings across NZ and loves to see how this class is inspiring the next generation of powerful voices.