Astra Papachristodoulou is an experienced tutor of creative writing with specialisation in experimental writing, ecopoetry, sculptural poetry, and visual poetry more widely. She has lectured in multiple universities over the years, including the University of Surrey, Falmouth University, and Bath Spa University amongst many others. Her doctoral research at Surrey focused on sculpting and materialising language as a social, ecological and feminist gesture.
She has also worked with the Southbank Centre in the ambitious Imagine the Future project led by renowned author Lemn Sissay, which involved delivering visual poetry workshops to 2,300+ schoolchildren across the UK, and being involved in a giant poetry installation showcasing the pupils' work.
Socially engaged workshop menu
These workshops can be tailored for schools, universities and creative institutions that are looking for innovative workshops that invite participants to engage with language in new ways, often off the page. These hands-on workshops are low pressure and fun, and are open to poets or poet enthusiasts at any stage of their practice.
Beeswax Letter Transferring
As part of this workshop we will make artworks that merge poems and images against beeswax
canvases and shells. We will also focus on generating artworks about positivity and healing.
Ecopoetry
Dive into the exciting world of tactile poetry that is concerned with climate change. In this generative session, you will question what it means to write ecologically attuned poems, and discuss poems in this mode.
Protest Poetry
The essence of protest banners boils down to a mix of language, matter, action, context and environment. Learn how to utilise found materials and textiles and merge them with poetry in interesting ways. Participants have the opportunity to explore the concept of ‘banner poems’, share their ideas and reflect on the transformative properties of protest materials.
Introduction to Visual Poetry
This online workshop helps writers explore the intersection of text and art, blending modern archival techniques with traditional forms like pattern and concrete poetry.
Poetry Games
Inspired by Astra’s poetry games such as poetry Jenga, poetry scratchcards and more, you’ll discover how games can provoke your poetic creativity as well as create a poetry game of your own.
Poem-message in a bottle
Drawing on Paul Celan’s idea of the poem as a “message in a bottle” cast into the ocean, this workshop explores poetry as an act of communication directed towards an unknown other.
