As early as 8am participants began to gather at the Presidential Hotel the venue for the performance for a brief rehearsals of the poem titled “Reading in the Creeks” written and arranged by them the previous day. The performance proper came on during the “Meet The Author, JP Clark” session. Dagga Tolar was invited on stage to introduce the performance. He appreciated the Goethe-Institut for all of the logistics, funding and support, without which the workshop will never have been held. The Alliance Francaise for helping out with a venue for the workshop and the Rainbow Book Club, the organizers of the Port Harcourt World Book Capital 2014 for providing the platform for the workshop. Dagga Tolar then said it was an honour for Aj. House of Poetry and all the participants at the workshop to present their performance to an audience of Poets and authors, with J.P. Clark seated.
The poem is titled “Reading in the Creeks”, and the duration of the workshop did not allow any better than what was about to be presented, but he did point out that the success of the workshop was in the fact that for all the participants, they were leaving the workshop fulfilled and with a sense of purpose of the possibilities of developing the interest in writing poetry and Spoken Word performance that the workshop had kindled in them. Poetry he said is everything, life and it feeds from everything we love and hate. The poet cannot discriminate when it comes to feelings, for only when the mind is open and free to allow his or her being to be true to all manners of feeling can he/she really engage the muse. The participant thereon took the stage for their performance.
Sharp-Akosubo Emmanuel opened the performance with brief remarks on the workshop and the need for more of such opportunities. This was then followed by the full performance of the poem.
Lines were taken by participants one after the other in a well arranged and creative pattern while Rueben and Joy jointly delivered the last set of lines in a subtle and beautiful mixture of voices. Performances also came from Uche Unwadinachi and Dare Dan from AJ House of Poetry. Applauses crowned all the performances, it lend itself well as an introductory segment to the chat with Poet and Playwright J.P. Clark moderated by Omolara Woods.
And the session started Prof. J.P Clark reacting to the performance and his views on the Art of poetry. He praised a process that held the participants just for two days and could birth a poem along in the theme “Port-Harcourt World Book Capital 2014.” He further commented that “poetry is the highest point of the art of language”, and as such all “practitioners… must know the language they have chosen to practice, whether Queens English or Warri Pidgin English, you must know the language".
“Be aware of your strength and your weakness, do your apprenticeship, know your literature”. Omolara Woods summing up JP Clark comments on the performance from the workshop had this to say, “Priceless advice” from JP Clark, “know the canon and all of the existing tradition you are working on”.
At the end of the session, J.P Clark had a photo shot with all the participants, subsequently certificates were given to participants who at this point were overwhelmed with the outcome of their performances.
The 19 participants at workshop
1. Innocent-Maclean Ekepere Paschal
2. Benson Jack David
3. Jonathan Joy
4. Egbe Nnamdi Fred
5. Reuben Prince
6. Oriemi D. Manuel
7. Sharp-Akosubo Emmanuel
8. Onwunalu Alexander
9. Nnaemeka Okeke
10. Ekweshili Amaechi Lucky
11. Etuk, Owoidotto Mike
12. Valentine Ndumanya
13. Gift Udoh
14. Ukaorji Ogbonna
15. Obobikpe, Itoro Jones
16. Authur Edima Joseph
17. Jonathan Joy Diseph
18. Opara Lawrence
19. Peter Ovie Akus
READING IN THE CREEKS
Must I read my way to death
Through to the lost of my last breath
This strenuous task of a narrow path
Of dead books, stories, letters and hardened passages of faith
Amidst this pile of book covers
Heaved like agonies of lovers
Unable to find a token might
Through the proclaim religious light
Must I live like a church rat
While others eat and grow fat
Now this reading in the creeks
Has turn to guns and blasting of pipes in the creeks
Where is the love in killing
When we ought to be together on the nation for healing
Yes, I look to the nearest distance
Where libraries will be in every street and corner
And even crooks
Will come in and grab a book
And find
The lettered means to mend their minds
And leaders
Will climb their minds on the ladder
Of building a new society
Where love, justice and prosperity
Will be the shining light
And do to all, all that is right!
SOME OF THE REMARKS BY PARTICIPANTS
“The workshop was inspirational and wonderful. It helped me to deepen my thoughts and to think and value so many things. I wish this could go on and they would call us back and follow up on our progress.”
- Reuben Prince
“I am very happy about the workshop. I learnt lot of things that I have never learnt before now . Am so happy for that and I pray for God blessing on our facilitators. I pray they find more inspiration to keep teaching this till we meet again.” -Nnaemeka Okeke
“As an aspiring author, I’ve realized I would require every stepping stone I can get in order to reach my goals and this stone has to turn-out to be a great one.” - Sharp-Akosubo Emmanuel
“Minutes after the Poetry/Spoken Word Workshop, it feels like a new kind of pen has been handed over to me – for scribbling lines unending….” -Benson-Jack David
“The workshop exposed me more into the world of poetry and I will appreciate more workshops like this”- Jonathan Joy Diseph
“Being a participant in the workshop organized by Gothe institute/Aj House of poetry has exposed me to a new world of experience. It was a wonderful experience”-Etuk Owoidoho
The workshop was challenging one but at the end of the day, left me inspired to try my hands more on poetry. It was a wonderful experience. i hope more of these stuffs come around often. i"ve tried my hands on poetry a couple of times and this workshop has ignited my interest to express self in form of writing poet. I say a big Thank you to Gothe Institute and Aj House of poetry. - Innocent-Maclean Epere Paschal
Participants receiving certificates.
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