23/06/2011
Pines Calyx, the award winning conference facility in St Margaret’s Kent, have hosted an exciting opportunity for local schools to work with former Poet Laureate Sir Andrew Motion.
Heralded a ‘naturally inspiring’ place, Pines Calyx proved a stimulating setting for the creative and educational workshops. Sir Andrew Motion bridged the subjects of marine life and literacy with his inspiring workshop. Reflecting on The Pines Poetry Path, Sir Andrew Motion engaged local school children in creative, inter-active poetry sessions on the magnificent subject of cetaceans, messages and love songs uniting man and mammal from shore to shore. Anticipating the workshop, he said “It is exciting to be working with the children and teaching creative writing in such a natural way”.
Alistair Gould, Chairman of The Bay Trust, the environmental education charity responsible for activities and initiatives at Pines Calyx, Pines Garden and Rippledown Environmental Education Centre, said “It is lovely to have children coming down and using the space at Pines Calyx. There is a particular synergy between arts and the environment which is what Pines Calyx is all about”.
The activities continued with interactive workshops on marine conservation with Cait Cochrane, a British Divers Marine Life Rescue mammal medic and volunteer warden for foreshore services. Embracing the vast organic gardens the children were encouraged to participate in such activities as forming a human chain to measure the length of a Blue whale.
The Children learnt fascinating facts about how whales, dolphins and other sea creatures live their lives under the oceans as well as be taught the importance of environmental responsibility, a position that echoes Pines Calyx’s own values. Reflecting on the workshops a St Margaret’s School pupil remarked “It made people realise what dropping litter does to animals”.
Following the afternoon workshop sessions with the school children, The Pines Calyx become host to an evening of poetry readings and music with live link to India. The remarkable evening saw a collaboration of talents from Poet Sir Andrew, Violinist David LePage and Celloist Mathew Sharp.
The activities were part of Deal Festival which each year presents an extraordinary quality and diversity of live music, literary performances and workshops.
Notes to Editor:
The owners of The Pines Calyx, The Bay Trust, is one of Kent’s leading environmental charites, and is playing a leading role in encouraging organisations to go green, thereby contributing to maintaining the cherised “Garden of England “ status as well as securing a solid triple bottom line across the county.
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