Schools Urged to Join Gyles' Poetry Tea Party, an Initiative by Poetry Together

The campaign has the support of HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, an advocate of learning poetry by heart, and patron of both the Royal Society of Literature and Silverline, who will be meeting some of the schoolchildren and older people taking part to hear their poems in performance and join them for tea.  The campaign has the support of HRH The Duchess ofCornwall, an advocate of learning poetry by heart, and patron of both the Royal Society of Literature and Silverline, who will be meeting some...

The campaign has the support of HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, an advocate of learning poetry by heart, and patron of both the Royal Society of Literature and Silverline, who will be meeting some of the schoolchildren and older people taking part to hear their poems in performance and join them for tea. 

Supported by Dukes Education, Poetry Together ties in with National Poetry Day on 3 October and Gyles is calling on primary and secondary schools to sign up now via www.poetrytogether.com.

"The idea is beautifully simple, free and a lot of fun," said the BBC Radio 4 Just a Minute star. "Choose a poem which young and old alike will enjoy and start learning it by heart. It doesn't matter whether it is Shakespeare or Benjamin Zephaniah, serious or funny.

"Link up with your local care home, share the poem so the residents can learn it too and arrange to have tea together."

Gyles will provide every participating school with a signed copy of his new poetry anthology 'Dancing By The Light Of The Moon', published this month.

The inspiration for Poetry Together was a radio programme Gyles made last year featuring University of Cambridge research which confirmed the benefits to memory, speech and confidence from learning and speaking poetry.

Poetry Together is backed by Dukes Education, whose Founder and Chair of Governors, Aatif Hassan, said: "As a child I was blessed with plenty of poetry which helped me with both language and expression.

"If this project can uplift the lives of young people through the nourishing effect of poetry - and equally put a smile on the face of the older generation - what a wonderful event that's going to be."

Schools and care homes should get together in the two weeks following National Poetry Day. Videos can be shared across social media using @poetry_together (Instagram and Twitter) and @poetrytogetherproject (Facebook).

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/967966/Gyles_with_St_Josephs_pupils.jpg