On Monday, February 17, Gareth hosted a special event, Beat by Beat, at Whitley Bay High School, which was attended not just by the school’s students, but also by young people from schools across the region including Monkseaton Middle School, Marden Bridge Middle School, Valley Gardens Middle School and Wellfield Middle School. Poet Lewis Buxton was special guest.
With the help of Lewis Buxton, 100 young people aged from 12 to 15, took part in their own version of the national poetry speaking competition, Poetry By Heart. In the morning, they each chose a poem they love, spent some time learning it by heart, and then, after final rehearsals and a warmup, performed those poems out loud and by heart in their own poetry speaking competition with champions announced at the end of the day by Lewis Buxton.
“I’ve always believed that poetry belongs to everyone,” says Gareth, “and at Whitley Bay High School, we work to bring the joy of poetry to everyday life.
"This is the second year we’ve run Beat to Beat, and we absolutely love it. Students who have perhaps never spoken a poem out loud to a large audience leave having done just that – and having had the best time.”
Charlotte Bourne of Poetry By Heart says: “Gareth and his students are an inspiration to schools across the country. Poetry is often seen as ‘a problem’ by teachers, but Gareth shows us all how it can be brought off the page and into people’s hearts. He is a trailblazer and a real poetry champion!”
