Steve is the master of tongue-twisting, mind-boggling poetry. Over the last dozen years you could have caught his dynamic performances almost anywhere: Glastonbury Festival Jazz Stage, The Barbican, Ronnie Scott’s, Hamleys Toy Shop, even Battersea Dog’s Home. For its 7 year duration, he was a mentor for young slam poets in Ken Livingstone’s RISE Festival. Broadcast on BBC1, Channel 4, Radio 1 and Radio 4, he’s equally likely to be found performing to three year olds in the Glastonbury Kidz Field, or to families on the Poetry Bus at Canterbury Festival. Further details, and samples of Steve’s work can be found on http://stevetasane.com/Workshops and performances
From reception class to Year 12, Steve uses games and performance to explore and celebrate poetry in all its forms. He is happy to deliver performances for assemblies, work with Gifted and Talented groups, excluded pupils, or deliver INSET sessions. As well as delivering general workshops to suit a school’s requirements, he has specialist experience in the following areas

Rhythm and Maths: a cross-curricular project exploring Key Stage 2 Maths through rhythm and word. Using Key Stage 2 literacy topics such as alliteration, rhyme and onomatopoeia, the project creates Maths Raps/Poems. Built on top of a selection of activities celebrating rhythm and metre, the class plays counting and sound games based around similes for the four maths operator words. Creating call-and-response chants around the times table, the class gradually builds up a musical understanding of maths and a playful, poetic way of demonstrating it.

Slams: poetry slams are light-hearted live poetry competitions. Learning and performing a poem is broadly identified as a means to developing an understanding of the craft of poetry and a great way to stimulate interest in composition. Slam competitions are judged by the audience, and competitors can work individually or in groups. They can be staged within a single class, between classes or between schools across a region. Steve has worked as a slam mentor for the Poetry Society for 7 years, as well as slams across the country such as the Westminster Poetry Slam, Norfolk Slam Poetry and Creative Partnerships

Special Education Needs: Steve has extensive experience working with pupils with specific needs, be it excluded pupils in Pupil Referral Units, young people with learning disabilities or for delivering lessons based on preferred learning styles.

Feedback
‘Those girls are dancing because you’re teaching them poetry again today’ Teacher, Chisenhale Primary School, East London, (during workshops for Create)

‘So magical & such great fun’ Eva Saltman, PR Manager, Hamleys Toy Shop

“Steve’s passion for poetry is intoxicating….his individual and
inspiring aproach to both composition and performance always brings out their creative best!”
TJ Prentice, Head Teacher, Eastbourne Pupil Referral Unit

Awards
Steve’as children’s novel, Fly Kids, is short listed for the Frances Lincoln Diverse Voices Award (result to be announced end of April 2009)

Books
Steve’s children’s poems have been included in The Poetry Store (edited by Paul Cookson, Hodder 2005), Life Lines 2 (Oxfam CD 2008), and the Apples & Snakes teachers’ guide On Good Form (compiled by Valerie Bloom, 2008)