Matt Abbott - Writing
Matt
Abbott
AIM High Writing
Summary
Age range KS2 to KS5
Books Yes
DBS Checked Yes
Booking
Contact
+44 (0)1535 656015
aimhigh@caboodlebooks.co.uk
Matt Abbott is a spoken word poet, lyricist, and author – as seen on Blue Peter and in the Beano (amongst other places!)
About Matt
Matt began his career fronting indie band Skint & Demoralised, which took him as far afield as Brooklyn and Berlin. He then became a full-time poet in 2015 and has travelled the UK extensively ever since – working in schools, performing at festivals, touring theatres, and featuring on TV. His accessible and engaging style, paired with his infectious enthusiasm, means that he’s a classroom favourite.
Having entered the poetry world without any formal or academic routes, Matt is able to breakdown the preconceived barriers when it comes to poetry. He encourages pupils to find – and have confidence in – their own voices and ideas. He also breaks down the construction of a poem and introduces prompts and themes that pupils instantly find more stimulating.
Matt took a solo spoken word stage show to Edinburgh Fringe in 2017 and earned 5* reviews during a full run at Underbelly Cowgate. He then took the show on a 22-date UK theatre tour in 2018 and had the show’s poems published as his debut collection. His debut kids’ poetry collection ‘A Hurricane in my Head’ was published by Bloomsbury in 2018 and was a National Poetry Day selected title.
As well as starring in three national TV ads for Nationwide Building Society, Matt has appeared live on Blue Peter and has also appeared (in cartoon form) in the Beano Magazine. He’s an ambassador for Eureka! The National Children’s Museum and was a patron for The Poetry Society’s Foyle Young Poets of the Year award in 2020.
Matt has also worked a lot for The Poetry Takeaway: creating bespoke poems for total strangers at festivals, in town centres, and at conferences and events. Working as a ‘poet chef’ since 2016 has inspired a lot of Matt’s workshop exercises and proven to him that there really is a poem out there for everyone.
Matt’s AIM High Writing Days
Aims:
· Breaking down the construction of the poem from the initial idea to performance: making the process seem less overwhelming
· Introducing prompts that often act as catalysts for the best ideas: ranging from items of clothing to meals, favourite places, and colours
· Underlining the importance of ‘show don’t tell’ and introduce ways in which pupils can express their poems more effectively
· Giving pupils confidence in their own voices and ideas – shedding the preconception of how a poem ‘should’ sound, the style of language and vocabulary they ‘should’ use, and the ideas that they ‘should’ or ‘shouldn’t’ explore
· Linking a love of poetry with more ‘mainstream’ art-forms including lyrics in songs, Tik-Tok raps, graphic novel text, and even nursery rhymes and football chants
· Demonstrating the importance of editing a poem: ensuring that the pupils maximise the potential of their poems and improve their range of vocabulary
· Building confidence when it comes to the performance/delivery of the poem, which transfers into confidence around public speaking in general and introduces a whole new element
· Introducing the concept of straying from reality: unlocking their imagination and not being bogged down by what’s ‘right’ and what’s ‘wrong’ (in terms of factual accuracy)
Themes:
Some of Matt’s favourite themes are:
o describing your favourite place using only sound, smell, taste, and touch
o writing a letter to an important item of clothing in your life
o describing a memorable meal (be it a family celebration or a packed lunch at school)
o There Is No Such Thing As…
o The Dark Room
o social media (which ties in with mental wellbeing)
Matt is always happy to write to any themes that the school suggests and plans his sessions accordingly.
Content:
· Introduction and performance from Matt
· Morning exercise one: ingredient gathering
o using a range of prompts and exercises to gather the best ‘ingredients’ for poems and learning to never settle for the first option that comes to mind. preparation is everything, and the better your ‘ingredients’, the better the poem. this includes gathering descriptive notes around sensory language, present continuous verbs, setting/location, and atmosphere
· Break (either free time or ‘productive chat’ including poetry videos)
· Morning exercise two: free-write time trials
o using a series of prompts/perspectives, pupils will write a series of timed free writes: ranging from two minutes to ten minutes. each of these will encourage the pupils to dive further into the ingredients of their poems and begin to build blocks of composed writing, without the pressure of composing an actual draft
o it will also introduce different perspectives: from first, second, and third person narrative to more abstract perspectives such as inanimate objects or animals
· Lunchtime
· Afternoon exercise one: first drafts
o pupils work on composing a first draft of a poem, using everything that they’ve written or ‘gathered’ already in the morning sessions
o Matt likes to play instrumental beats by ‘Chillhop Music’ if possible, but that’s a bonus. I also circulate the group providing one-on-one advice as needed – answering questions and providing tips and guidance
· Break (as above)
· Afternoon exercise two: editing
o Matt uses a range of exercises to help pupils hone the discipline of their editing techniques and learn ways in which they can maximise the potential of their poems. this includes word counts, syllables, erasure poetry, and haikus
· Afternoon exercise three: performance
o depending on how much time is available, the group has either a dedicated section for teaching performance techniques. or, if needs be, or go straight into performance, with pupils invited to share drafts with their peers in a friendly and supportive environment
· Afternoon exercise four: Q+A and performance from Matt
Matt’s requirements:
· Venue: large classroom or library setting (i.e., with tables and chairs)
· Ideally a smartboard with access to YouTube, but this is a luxury
· If no smartboard then a flipboard with paper and pens
· Pens and paper for the pupils: ideally plain for morning and lined for afternoon, but either/or is fine
A Hurricane in My Head tackles the themes of friendship, bullying, technology and the life of a modern teenager.
Bookings
To book Matt Abbott please contact
aimhigh@caboodlebooks.co.uk
Matt also offers visits to schools and other settings, click here for more information.