Slamfresh

At SlamFresh, we believe poetry can make a big difference to young people’s lives. But the need to create a nurturing and supportive environment in which to write has never been greater. Although the popularity of the art form, particularly spoken word, continues to grow on an unprecedented scale, last year, for the first time in our country’s history, poetry was nearly made an optional GCSE subject. As well as this, the recent closure of schools has meant that young people from lower economic backgrounds have been put at an even greater disadvantage than they already were. Cut off from schools, many of these young people simply have not had the space or resources to access creative opportunities, at a time when they need them more than ever. SlamFresh is a CIC based in the Newcastle upon Tyne which aims to address these problems. We run workshops that focus on the contemporary styles of spoken word and slam poetry, styles of writing which we have found can engage some of the most reluctant students. SlamFresh work in partnership with schools and community centres to mentor young people in writing, editing and performance. We have 3 company directors, Rowan McCabe, Michael MacDonald and Jeff Price. Rowan McCabe and Michael MacDonald (stage name Donald Jenkins) also serve as the two primary facilitators for the workshops, although guests may be brought in on a freelance basis where required. The directors met through their work as professional poets. Collectively, they have spent over 40 years working with children and young people.