Art in Motion

It was a pleasure to welcome Slam artist, Mark Grist to campus with his infectious energy and love for poetry. Students were in awe and inspired to try their own slam poetry as Mark gave them tips on how to play with words. Mark reflected on his week-long visit at Bangkok Patana:

“This week at Bangkok Patana School has been an absolute pleasure. I’ve loved working with students across all year groups and have been so impressed by their creativity and enthusiasm. I loved performing Rhinos Don’t Cry and playing rhyme games with Years 1 and 2, sharing a poem about my dog Boo, with Years 3-6 and then seeing Year 7s craft some incredible multisyllabic rhymes (Ursula the Sea Witch—congrats on the win!), it’s been such a rewarding experience,” said Mark.

“Year 8s embraced the energy of slam poetry, Year 9s pushed boundaries with creative risks, Year 10s wrote deeply personal poems about places that matter to them, and Year 11s and 12s engaged brilliantly as we explored what poetry and rap have taught me over the years. Our lunchtime rap battle, the book signings (we sold out—thank you!), and meeting the Core anthology team were particular highlights. Well done to all the students I worked with –  you smashed it!” he explained.

Mark gives a huge thank you to Rosie Marshall, Stephen M, and all the other staff who made him so welcome. “I often miss having colleagues and I loved being a part of the team this week. Bangkok Patana is truly a remarkable school and community, and I’ve loved every minute of my visit,” said Mark.