Dorothea Smartt
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Dorothea Smartt is an engaging poet and live artist,
Described as “accessible & dynamic”, her work was selected to promote the best of contemporary writing in
Her first collection, CONNECTING MEDIUM [2001, Peepal Tree Press], is highly praised and features poems from her outstanding performance works “Medusa” and “From You To Me To You” [An ICA Live Art commission]. She explores issues of heritage and identity, with an evocative and spirited voice which “coils up your feelings, around granite chips of truth…unwinds solace, in the most soothing volleys” [Caribbean Times].
Her latest publication SHIP SHAPE [2008] is a rich collection, connecting past and present, presence and absence. At its heart is a sequence that excavates the missing history of an African who died within days of his arrival in 18th century
Dorothea is a skilled, experienced, and inspirational facilitator of workshops. In addition to working with pupils she can provide INSET sessions. A primary school teacher she worked with on a recent residency writes …
‘I feel truly blessed to have had the opportunity to work alongside Dorothea, and witness the inspiration she was to the children in my class. She was a joy to work with at all times, and as talented a teacher as she is a poet. I cannot recommend her highly enough.’
Workshops and performances
What do you offer? Size of group, age group/key stages – as specific as you like, how many groups per day, do you offer whole school assemblies or not? You may want to link your work to the curriculum or alternatively just keep the details brief.
Whatever education project or audience you have in mind, Dorothea will be able to devise an exciting and engaging bespoke session or project for them – she has experience of working with a variety of classes and groups including, A level. GCSE, KS1-4, young women offenders, and sixth formers. She particularly delights in working with year 5 & 6.
For example a day with KS2 pupils could begin with Dorothea making a presentation to the school assembly. Followed by pre-planned 1-hour sessions with the classes, that with differentiation, progression and continuity within a repeat workshop, that culminates in the classes having the potential to deliver a future assembly presentation.
Alternately, Dorothea can, in collaboration with the class teacher plan and deliver a topic based project over several sessions over half a term. Drawing on her own and others poetry, she enjoys sharing her playful creative process, to enable and inspire the children to write their own poetry. These projects include pupils taking part in off-site visits, ‘poetry picnics’, performance activities, and various cross-curricular elements. She’s previously delivered projects on Greek mythology;
She also enjoys engaging with KS4 on a selection of the different cultures poems in cluster 1 & 2 of the AQA GCSE English anthology. Dorothea relishes the chance to place her own work in a context, and rave about some of her favourite
Her workshops encourage pupils, through the range of work, to expand their vocabulary and grammatical awareness, to ‘squeeze words hard’, utilize their five senses, and think about using ‘the best words in the best order’. Pupils listen and respond to poetry, enjoy reading and writing poetry through playing with forms (e.g. haiku, kennings, riddles), word games, counting syllables, employing rhyme, repetition, narrative, imagery, similie and metaphor. There are opportunities for speaking and listening and to write as a class, in small groups and individually. When time permits, Dorothea can share strategies for editing and re-writing poems.
Feedback
I think it was very inspirational and it’s good that she came because her visit gave us insight on what her poem world is about and she is very different (in a good way) and that’s why I like her because her poems were touching especially the way she read them she did it with so much feeling and she really reached out to me and all the rest of the class.
Year 9 Pupil,
She expertly guided the children through the process of writing various different types of poem. She modelled the process, gave them time to think and compose, gently prompting them where necessary, but always allowing the voice of the child through. Every single child succeeded…Dorothea is so expert in what she does, so entrancing and builds the children’s self confidence so well, while maintaining absolute classroom control…
Ellie Masters-Brown, Yr 5 St Saviours Primary
Dorothea has an organised approach to planning learning activities…Pupils confidences developed and they took risks, writing and performing poetry…she was able to inspire and motivate them…Her work was valued by the staff.
external supervisor, training for artists school, lab/institute of education
“Children had more confidence in speaking in front of school…presented with dramatic flair…understanding of poetry enhanced…understanding of rewriting and redrafting improved”
Val Harris, Yr 6, St Lukes Primary
“Dorothea, very approachable and easy to work with…name games helped to raise children’s self esteem. Pupils enjoyed Dorothea’s personality… working with children with SLD and PMLD was…a challenge that Dorothea adapted to very quickly…[she]will now be very well equipped to work in any SLD/PMLD setting”
Sue Lowry, English Co-ordinator,
“…good use of speaking and listening…vocabulary was stretched and developed…a successful project!”
Lucy Winters, Yr 2, St. Mary Magdelene
“I was as excited as the children and wanted to be a part of the magic that was happening in my classroom. We developed an extremely effective team-teaching approach, which, as well as benefiting the children, also benefited my own teaching. I feel totally confident to teach poetry in this way again…”
Ellie Masters-Brown, St Saviours Primary
Dorothea is a friendly and reliable person to work with. She is an extraordinary performer, engages well with young people and is very adaptable when placed in different environments. She provides plenty of spark and encouragement for young people in their development, and is well-organised and eloquent when working with teachers. We have no hesitations in recommending Dorothea - she is always a pleasure and an inspiration to work with.
Angel Dahouk, Deputy Education Manager, The Poetry Society
Awards
2006 Artist-In-Residence,’ Tradewinds-Landfall’, Project Row Houses,
2003-4 Poet-in-Residence for Westminster Education Action Zone Primary Schools, Creativity In the Curriculum Project,
2002 Poet-In-The-City,
2001 Forward Poetry Prize, Highly Commended Poem, [“Gambian Sting”],.
2001 One to One Award - Live Art Development Agency -, professional development & mentoring
2001 Writer-In -Merton,
2001 Guest Writer, African-New World Studies,
2001 Guest Poet, English Dept.,
2000 Writer-In Residence,
1998 Combined Arts Research & Development Award, Arts
1998 Poet-In-Residence, Brixton Market, Spread The Word/Poetry Society,
1995-6 Attached Live Artist,
Book list
poetry publications:
2008 Ship Shape, Peepal Tree Press
2007 Samboo’s Grave-Bilal’s Grave , Peepal Tree Press
2007 Storm Between fingers, Flipped Eye
2001 Connecting Medium , Peepal Tree Press
2001 The Forward Book of Poetry 2002, Forward/Faber & Faber
2000 IC3: Penguin Book of New Black Writing, eds.C. Newland & K. Sesay., Penguin
2000 Mythic Women/Real Women, ed. L. Goodman, Faber & Faber
1999 Voice Memory Ashes, eds. J Ross & J. Anim-Addo, Mango Publishing
1998 Bittersweet, ed. K. McCarthy, Women’s Press
1998 The Fire People, ed. L. Sissay, Payback Press
1996 Flaming Words, Burning Images, ed. K. Sesay, SAKS Publications
1995 Moving Beyond Boundaries, eds. C. Boyce Davies & Ogundipe-Leslie, Pluto
