Education
In her desire to pass on all her skills and experiences as a performance poet and writer, since 2002, Zena regularly engages in educational workshops and masterclasses in schools, community centres, Arts institutes and theatres internationally, facilitating self-devised workshops in creative writing and performance.
Engendered for all age groups, the workshops are cultured to encourage the growth of individuality in creativity thus empowering the participants as they discover their own voice and how to use it creatively.
All workshops use focussed and dynamic pedagogical techniques providing a platform for creative self-expression. They aim to:
• empower the creative writer/performer
• encourage the development of individuality in style and originality
• inspire creative flow
• explore issues from contemporary and cultural polemics
to personal and intimate experiences through creative writing
•provide performance techniques for the beginner to advanced poet
who wishes to explore how to take their unique creative flair to the stage
initiative where Zena has been integral to it development as a poet mentor. She has devised and facilitated workshops and mentoring programs that encourage the idea of socially productive creativity through the skills and styles of poetry, rap, storytelling, drama and song.
Previous commissions - British Council, Poet in Residence at The Poetry Society - London, BBC Radio 3 & 4, Battersea Arts Centre, The Shizuoka Theatre – Japan, Podim Moaziek – The Netherlands, The School of English and Drama, Kingston University, Winnipeg University – Canand, The Arvon Foundation, The Barbican, The Albany, Deptford, The National Theatre.
Education, Artist Facilitation and Consultancy experience
Volunteer Mentoring – to date Zena offers her experience and knowledge as a working artist/writer/performer to any emerging or new writers that approach her through her EPK and blogs.
Associate Artist at The Albany, Deptford, to date – Zena is play is playing the artist role of building their new Youth Theatre project, “Under Cover”
Artist in Residence at Podium Mozaiek, Netherlands, March 2012 – mentoring and facilitating master-classes as part of Travelling Light One Woman show.
Talawa Theatre Company Youth Company – Writer/performance facilitator for “This Is England” one of their most recent site specific Youth Theatre productions.
Artist in Residence for Sarsvarti Production, Canada Sept 2011 – mentoring and facilitating master-classes for Winnipeg Universitystudents as part of Travelling Light One Woman show.
BBC’s The Verb New, March – November 2011 – Mentored Degna Stone in partnership with The Arc, Stockton. Verbalised 2010 to date is a British Council initiative where Zena acts as lead artist, artist mentor, and creative consultant to British Council coordinators. My role was to give the artists contribution that shapes and develop this successful South African and UK touring project consisting of a live performance, a series of creative writing and performance workshops/master classes and seminars for artistic practice, education and activism.
Shake! 2010 to date is a project initiated by PLATFORM that brings together young people aged between 16 – 15, artists & campaigners to develop creative responses to social injustice. Zena is to date acting as creative consultant and created and contributes to their blog – http://voicesthatshake.blogspot.co.uk/
“Security- one woman show project”, 2008 – 2009. As part of her first one woman show Zena devised and facilitated workshops that tackled the themes of street violence, exile, belonging, friendship and identity produced by Apples and Snakes Poetry Organisation, the Birmingham Rep and Battersea Arts Centre. She also created a blog for all it characters for a ongoing online presence of the project when not touring – http://zenaedwards.wordpress.com/about/
Power In The Voice 2007-8 is a British Council and East Side Educational Trust initiative where Zena has been integral to it development as a poet mentor. She has devised and facilitated workshops and mentoring programs that encourage the idea of socially productive creativity through the skills and styles of poetry, rap, storytelling, drama and song.
BBC BLAST 2008 in conjunction with The Serpentine Gallery. A multi- media project for young people aged 13 – 19 in collaboration with Jason Yarde, Yeast Productions (film) and Siobhan Davies Dance Company.
