Famous British Poet Inspires at Dulwich Puxi
LEARNING extends beyond the classroom—it thrives through inspiration, creativity, and real-world experiences.
Mark Grist, renowned British poet and storytellerhas worked with the Dulwich CollegeInternational our family of schools for many years. Mark has collaboratedwith our students, leading dynamic workshops thattransform poetry into powerful expressions of art,performance, and storytelling.
This academic year, Mark returned to Dulwich Puxi to launch the Poetry & Art Festival with the theme ‘Everyday Superheroes’. Year 6 and Year 7 students embarked on an exciting journey of self-expression, using their poetry as a foundation for performances, visual art, rap battles, and even virtual reality projects.
Quoted by Mark Grist, British poet and storyteller,
' I’m always so impressed by the work students produce but Dulwich Puxi really raised the bar this year. We’re creating unique and expressive pieces, exploring status and writing for impact with such an enthused and well-prepared group of students.'
Bringing Words to Life：Choosing Learning Formats that Engage
Before Mark’s arrival, students crafted original poems based on the theme of 'Everyday Superheroes.' These poems then became the inspiration for a series of interdisciplinary workshops spanning Creative Arts, EdTech, English, and Performing Arts. Year 6 and 7 Students had the opportunity to explore their creative voices through Drama, Dance, Rap Battles, Visual Art, and VR Immersion.
While unconventional storytelling formats may not be what you typically associate with schooling, Mark Grist’s approach both inspires. His experiences from teaching English to winning rap battles, creates environments that elicits excitement and incomparable learning moments.
Sparking excitement and fostering unparalleled learning moments
Max C., Year 7 Student said,
'Doing rap battles and roasting different villains has been so fun and cool. It is very inspiring to work with Mark.'
Working in groups, they brainstormed and refined their ideas, pushing the boundaries of storytelling. Some crafted dramatic narratives about firefighters and aid workers, while others explored motherhood and heroism through rap and augmented reality. This cross-curricular approach not only sharpened their writing skills but also encouraged teamwork, problem-solving, and creative thinking.
Quoted by Amy Uffindall, Head of English,
'It always humbles me to see how imaginative and creative the students at Puxi truly are. Witnessing Year 6 and 7 students working together to produce such spectacular work has been incredible. The students' poems are a powerful example of their thoughtfulness and kindness and they reflected on the concept of Everyday Heroes. The drama, dance, art and performance work which followed was exceptional with such a wide range of talent on display.'
The cross curricular event is part of Year 6’s transition to the senior school next year and it was wonderful to witness students working with kindness and respect as they shared, developed, and refined their incredible ideas.
Vicky Walker, Year 6 Lead Teacher, Primary English Lead Teacher
'It has been wonderful to collaborate with senior school colleagues in supporting our students in bringing their work to life. Having the Year 6s work with the Year 7s has also been a valuable transition opportunity, and the Year 6s have been so excited at the prospect of developing their work with a world-renowned author and poet. Having the freedom to choose how to creatively express their words in a different form has also given them time to reflect and refine their work further, leading to deeper learning. Providing students with opportunity for both creativity and competition is a great way to bring literacy to life.'
The workshops gave students agency and enabled them to make transdisciplinary connections. Students linked their projects to different conceptual ideas to consider what an everyday superhero is and who that might be. The event saw students develop their problem solving and collaborative skills as they worked hard together to produce outstanding results.
Following the event, our students can now elect to enter EiM’s Poet of the Year Competition where they can compete to perform on an international stage. We wish all our students the best of luck and cannot wait to read EiM’s next anthology titled ‘Everyday Superheroes’!
