Mentoring & Facilitation Practice

Over the past 30 years, I have worked across mainstream and alternative education settings-supporting learners of all ages and abilities through a unique blend of creativity, care, and person-centred practice.

 

During lockdown, it was necessary for me to migrate my in-person self employed work to the online digital sphere

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My approach is shaped by a deep belief in the power of creative education to build confidence, encourage critical thinking, and enable learners to develop both academically and emotionally.

 

As a published poet and project designer, I have delivered innovative, arts-based learning programmes in a range of settings - including schools, colleges, sixth form centres and universities, museums, libraries, an other cultural institutions. These include partnerships with the British Museum, the Southbank Centre, the Serpentine Gallery, and V & A, where I have engaged children and young people in developing literacy, language, and self- expression through poetry, storytelling, and creative exploration.

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Cross Art form and Multi-Media Approach of Teaching

Zena’s personal practice for generating and developing her poetry involves using photography an mixed-media collage and visuals. For performance uses classic and contemporary theatre techniques, voice work and song, and, with a focus on writing down the bones of a performance poem and Live Literature.

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"My promise:

• to encourage complete individuality in style and voice, using diverse cultural storytelling techniques in writing, voice and performance

• to develop with you a sustainable personalised practice of intuitive flow for highly imaginative creativity.

• to encourage brave exploration of contemporary societal issues to autobiographic memoire.

• to empower YOU, as the artist participant, to engage with the many ways poetry & spoken word serves for well being, cultural expression and an artistic outside-the-box way of processing your writing and performance.

• to provide established and bespoke performance techniques for the beginner to the  advanced poet so that you can improve your confidence for public-speaking and develop your self-awareness for stage-presence. Learn to fill a venue with your voice, energy and focus."

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Working with Individuals And Groups

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1-2-1 Work

Zena can be booked for 1-2-1 mentoring sessions to upgrade your poetry and spoken word performances, and embolden your writing practice for performance.

Zena has an intensive, gentle but tenacious practice of facilitation to further empower  participants to push themselves to the next level.

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Working with Groups

As a poet educator and practitioner, Zena has travel around the globe collaborating with organisations and institutions such Winnipeg University, Canada; as Contact Theatre Young Peoples Theatre, Manchester, Open East School, The Battersea Arts Centre, and the British Council.  Her work with schools groups, intergenerational and community groups and in the academic sphere, has led her to writing and performance poetry projects internationally.

Her work with groups is dynamic, invigorating and generates thought provoking and impact shifts in a participant's practice.

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