CREATIVE juices were flowing at Chater Infants School last week when performance poet Mr Beowulf Mayfield joined students for a special poetry day.

The event, organised as part of national Big Arts Week, was was held on Tuesday, June 18.

It was designed to encourage pupils in Year 2 at the school in Southsea Avenue, Watford, to experiment with poetry.

Pupils began the day with a poetry reading led by Mr Mayfield, who then showed two classes of Year Two children ways of developing associated ideas and images to create an original group poem.

One group was then asked to write their own short poems, which they later typed up in different colours and typefaces and decorated to compile in a class anthology.

The other group worked together to produce five collages illustrating details from their group poem, a moral saga about a Viking warrior called Eric the Forkbeard.

Mr Mayfield, who has been performing on the London poetry circuit since 1993, said the children showed boundless enthusiasm and produced a high standard of work.

He said: "I had never undertaken a school workshop before so I felt very nervous beforehand.

"However, thanks to the generous support of all the teaching staff involved and the enthusiasm of the children, it was a brilliant day.

"Up to now, all my writing has been produced for adult audiences.

"After this experience, I'm going to make a serious effort to produce work for children as well.

"It won't be easy but it will be rewarding."

June 27, 2002 15:30