Where Words Meet Music

Put a spring in your step with our latest Easter Extra programme: Where Words Meet Music – a brand new 6-week course where you will think about what poems and songs can learn from each other and get creative to inspire new ways of approaching your writing.

The course will be steered by singer and composer Ben See, and shaped by four fantastic guest tutors to take the learning in different directions: Rowan Evans, a poet and sound artist; Alice Zawadzki, a vocalist and performer; Samantha Whates, a songwriter; and Richard Scott, a poet who started his career as an opera singer.

Each session will involve exploration and discussion, alongside writing tasks and feedback, in the tutors’ areas of expertise. We will build towards an informal sharing session in the final week, to celebrate and showcase some of the exciting new work produced on the course.

This course is open to all, whether you’re a songwriter wanting to push your lyrics into new ground, a poet keen to explore sound, a singer who wants to write, or something else entirely. All levels of experience welcome. This will be a supportive and encouraging space to approach something different and see where it goes.

7 April – Introduction / Workshop / Exploration

14 April – Rowan Evans – Sound poetry / Poetry as sound

21 April – Alice Zawadzki – Finding the music in words

28 April – Samantha Whates – The craft of songwriting

5 May – Richard Scott – Music in poetry and libretto

12 May – Informal sharing/performance at the Canvas Café, Brick Lane

Book here to reserve your place, and don’t forget to check out our wide range of concessions here. We can also divide payment into multiple instalments – please contact us at [email protected] or give us a call at 0207 582 1679.

Classes will take place on Tuesdays from 7-9.30pm. All classes, except for the final session, will take place in our offices at 1 Dock Offices, Surrey Quays Road, Canada Water, SE16 2XU. The venue is a 2-minute walk from Canada Water Station. Take the ‘Lower Road’ exit from the station onto Surrey Quays Road, then walk straight ahead, crossing over Deal Porters Way, and the Dock Offices come up on the left. The door for the school is at the far end of the building.