Dean Atta's poetry strikes a chord at Black History Month event - Sydenham High School

Dean Atta’s poetry strikes a chord at Black History Month event

edit

On Monday 14 October pupils were treated to a lunchtime poetry and verse recital by Dean Atta, a British poet of Greek Cypriot and Caribbean descent. He has been listed by The Independent newspaper as one of the 100 most influential LGBT people in the United Kingdom and writes poetry on topics such as questions of identity and social justice.

Dean read several poems (one of which is below) and extracts from his new book, The Black Flamingo, before answering some excellent questions from sixth formers, Junova and Ophelie, including his process for writing poetry and his experience of the intersectionality of being black and gay. They asked about what Black History Month means to him and listened with interest as he explained his perspective of being able to highlight the progress that has been made in society but to remember that it is not only about figures in the past, that we are making history. He noted some icons of the civil rights movement and how we can trace history through politics, music, education and other areas through to the present day when we must carry the torch. His advice to young black people growing up in today’s climate is to be yourself and not hide parts of who you are. Be proud and be a good role model, especially to those younger than you. Part of this can be to challenge those around you who say things that you find uncomfortable – they may not realise and those who bother to take the time to look into what you have flagged are the ones who are worth spending time with.

Truly inspiring insight into the life of Dean. His performance truly brought the book life and I will definitely be purchasing.

-Junova

It was an enlightening experience and linked well to sociology as he spoke of his experiences with racism, homophobia and other personal struggles that he has faced.

-Florrie

Dean Atta’s performance of his poetry was mesmerising and really bought his book ‘The Black Flamingo’ to life. It was extremely interesting to hear him touch on topics such as identity and family.

– Kaliyah

It was a very interesting lunchtime session and we would like to thank Dean for joining us and Sydenham Arts for making his visit possible.

Sydenham Arts is a registered charity providing arts activities and events all year round from its permanent home and performance space at the Sydenham Centre. It is committed to providing a platform for emerging, local artists as well as bring in high quality, established artists to the area. Sydenham Arts relies on support to deliver an innovative array of artistic activities for the whole community and to achieve its charitable aims ‘to provide, promote and advance the Arts for the benefit of the public, in particular people who live, work and are educated in Sydenham and surrounding areas’. Times are tough – sadly its core funding from Lewisham Borough Council has been cut. To donate and support Sydenham Arts click here.

More News

The Beckenham Festival of Speech and Drama 2019

Read more

Where Next?

Apply for a place
Visit us
Our ethos
Latest news