About Us
Our aims and objectives are:
to promote an awareness of the values of equality and peace,
to encourage and promote creative excellence through poetry,
to work in partnership with Leeds-based organisations to explore and discuss the selected theme,
to organise peace poetry competitions annually or biennially for schools and adults in Leeds,
to encourage inclusive engagement and participation in the Leeds Peace Poetry competition,
to invite a celebrated poet or poets to preside as chief judge for each competition,
to organise a gala celebration event for shortlisted and winning entries of the competition,
to create a strong presence and a high profile for Leeds Peace Poetry,
to publicise the winning and highly recommended poems.
to promote an awareness of the values of equality and peace,
to encourage and promote creative excellence through poetry,
to work in partnership with Leeds-based organisations to explore and discuss the selected theme,
to organise peace poetry competitions annually or biennially for schools and adults in Leeds,
to encourage inclusive engagement and participation in the Leeds Peace Poetry competition,
to invite a celebrated poet or poets to preside as chief judge for each competition,
to organise a gala celebration event for shortlisted and winning entries of the competition,
to create a strong presence and a high profile for Leeds Peace Poetry,
to publicise the winning and highly recommended poems.
Who We Are |
Leeds Peace Poetry was established in 2003 by a group of people connected with Together for Peace, Leeds City Council - Education Leeds (now Leeds Children's Services) and Arts at Trinity. Others have now joined us. We are constantly looking for volunteers from individuals and organisations who wish to help us to further our aims.
Currently, our steering group is made up of individuals with a track record of promoting equality and peace and with enthusiasm for Leeds Peace Poetry. Organisations represented include the University of Leeds (School of English and Poetry Centre), Leeds City Council Children's Services (Schools), Hyde Park Picture House and Leeds Library and Information Services. Officers are Rehana Minhas (Chair), Professor John Whale (Vice-Chair) and Richard Wilcocks (Secretary, Website) Contact us at [email protected] From a University of Leeds perspective, we have been delighted to join in with this long-standing and successful event since it coincided with the 2012 Olympics. Since then, we have had the privilege of reading and selecting the prize-winners along with our distinguished chief judges and have been able to offer venues on campus for our prize-giving gala celebrations. From my own point of view as Director of the University of Leeds Poetry Centre - and as a poet myself - this is obviously a fantastic opportunity to engage with a wider public in the making of poems. Many of our school entries in the past few years have been in the Primary category; and here we have been delighted by the enthusiasm and creativity shown by both children and teachers across the Leeds region. One of the most enjoyable aspects of the last few competitions has been the work not just of individuals, but of whole classes of children - so much so that we have added a new class category to our list of prizes. The Leeds Peace Poetry competition also, of course, gives us the chance to demonstrate how poetry matters - how it can give powerful expression to some of the key issues of our time. John Whale Our Judge - TESTAMENT
Testament is an acclaimed writer, rapper and Guinness world record breaking human beatboxer who is based in West Yorkshire. His work ranges from spoken word poetry, playwrighting and composition, to essay writing, live beatbox show to radio presenting. His work has received praise from Lemn Sissay, graphic novelist Alan Moore, actor and writer Patterson Joseph, BBC presenter Lauren Laverne and the progenitor of Hip-Hop himself DJ Koolherc. His work as a rapper includes the celebrated Hip-Hop album Homecut: No Freedom Without Sacrifice, as well as several spoken word performances for BBC TV and BBC Radio (1xtra, Radio 4 and 6Music). In 2019 he was Channel 4 Writer in Residence at Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester and Black writer-in-residence for the Yorkshire Dales District Park. As a playwright he has written for theatres such as The Royal Court, Leeds Playhouse, The Globe and Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester among others. His work for screen includes writing for NETFLIX, Disney Plus, BBC and Channel 4. Over the years he has worked with a diverse range of people from Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Grammy winner Corinne Bailey Rae, Ray Parker Jnr, jazz legends Joe Lovano and Jean Toussaint, Mercury nominee Soweto Kinch and he won the BBC Urban Music Talent Award in 2007. In 2015 he wrote his first show the acclaimed play Blake Remixed – a personal response to the work of William Blake which had a successful run in Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2015 and since then he has straddled the world of music, literature and theatre. Testament's poetry has been published in several anthologies and has been used a teaching resource in the UK and in over 25 countries around the world. He is also a international workshop facilitator, founding workshop company Hip-Hop Clinic in 2014 producing workshops in venues that range from schools, universities and stadiums, to prisons and park benches. Work as a poet coach includes BBC Radio 1, BBC 1xtra, The Roundhouse and Apples & Snakes. He has given talks for several universities and two of his plays are studied at degree level. |
