Education

Mike is motivating to the people he works with

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Mike uses his skills and experience to promote expression, literacy and a love of books through his poetry working within a wide range of educational setting.


Recognized by The National Literacy Trust as being a motivating and positive role model to the young people he works with.
 
Mike is one of the Trust’s “Reading Champions”. He was nominated for his passion for reading and his success in encouraging young people, particularly boys, to read fiction and poetry. Read an interview with Mike about being a Reading Champion here.

Mike Garry : Doctor of Education 

Manchester Metropolitan University

Doctorate

in recognition of Mike’s work in education

Manchester Metropolitan University awarded Mike a Doctor of Education for his work in schools, colleges, universities, and prisons.

Mike’s workshops

what to expect…

Mike facilitates a range of groundbreaking workshops that promote literature as a positive and useful tool for learning.
 
His workshops challenge the accepted images and ideas of poetry and repackage them as contemporary, exciting and important.
 
In addition to appreciating the beauty of words, language, and sound, the youngsters learn to empathise with characters, which in turn leads them to explore their own feelings and emotions.
 
Then, with Mike’s support, they discover how to express their thoughts and feelings through poetry.

Exploring 

Poetry & Creative Writing

‘Excellence in Cities’ initiative explores poetry and creative writing.

Mike Garry worked with 12 pupils from different schools to explore poetry and creative writing. The pupils were exposed to a range of poets and styles, and with encouragement from Mike, developed their ability to describe them in terms of imagery and form. Within a short space of time, they wrote freely, sharing their work openly with peers and teachers.

demonstrating 

Confidence & Imagination

Roundwood School In Manchester welcomed Mike’s approach to inspire Pipils.

Through a series of workshops, Mike Garry introduced pupils to various poets, styles, and subjects. With his support, the students demonstrated confidence, imagination, and the ability to write and perform their poems with fluency and skill. Sound Words and Solid Minds is a wonderful, creative, and touching anthology of poems written by the young people.

Encouraging 

Young People

get young people reading, writing, and compiling an anthology of poems.  

The Homework! Help project was an initiative by Manchester Libraries and the Looked After Children Scheme. Mike worked in six Children’s Homes engaging with young people and encouraging them to write their own poems. He visited libraries and bookshops with the youngsters, gave them book tokens and read relevant and contemporary poetry to them.

Mike & Philip Glass

Poetry

Described by iconic designer Peter Saville as “a genius”, Mike’s work focuses on the city and its people, championing the underdog and finding beauty amongst the ugliness and triumph amongst tragedy. He has performed his poetry since 1995 and has worked in the USA, Hong Kong, and throughout Europe and has been on continuous tours with John Cooper Clark since 2011.

He also performs in Prisons, Mental Health Units, and Children’s Homes and is passionate about bringing live poetry to places it wouldn’t normally reach. He was a Poet in Residence at Kendal Calling, Strangeways Prison and regularly performs at festivals like Latitude, Isle of White and Festival Number 6. His poems have been published in numerous newspapers, and magazines and read on TV and radio.

Education

John Cooper Clarke & Mike Garry
2023 North American Tour

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Official Store

Find poetry collections and merchandise produced by Mike Garry.

Book Mike Garry

If you’d like to book Mike to come to your school, college, university or prison and run an educational workshop, please complete the form below