Tightly-Spun Tales by Young Londoners

Young people from the borough of Islington took part in a Synergy Spoken Word project this Easter. Spoken Word legend Kenny Baraka worked with young lyricists, poets and those with something to say to create original spoken word pieces.

The standard of work was impressive and each participant created an individual response. We had poetry, diary entries, correspondence from prison and letters to an unborn child, all tightly composed through spoken word.

The project was designed in collaboration with partner staff at Islington’s Children Looked After Team and Youth Offending Service and all sessions were supported by a trained ex-prisoner facilitator.

A short extract from one of the pieces:

At 12 years old I was already an expert at filling out school forms.
Sat in the office of my third school that year I quickly ticked boxes and filled in spaces.
But when confronted with this new question: “Who in your family should we contact in case of emergency?” I paused.
Then I dropped a tear.
I couldn’t lie.
I had no one.
No one to depend on, no one to care for, no one to trust.
It was a question left unanswered.
Until you.

March 23rd 1994 I was born.
But since birth I was parcelled and pushed around.
Hand to hand, care home to care home.
Foster care to group home.
Never staying in one place long enough to make friends nonetheless family.

I was raised the tough way.
Seeing everyone as a stranger.
Never being told what was right and what was wrong…