The Word Bird

After completing a degree in Youth and Community work; Sky Hawkins found her hobby in writing and performing poetry therapeutic and found an ability to reach others through the power of words.

Sky was on Jobseekers Allowance as a single parent finding it very difficult to find a job that incorporated her love of performing whilst working with young people. A friend suggested she combine her youth and community skills with her talent in poetry to set up her own business within the community and youth groups she felt she could understand and reach into, leading to the beginning of The Word Bird.

The Word Bird helps others release their inner poet through poetry and performance. Sky herself performs and teaches others to communicate in a way they had maybe not thought possible in order to increase in confidence, and learn to open up and express themselves.

The hardest part for Sky was in the initial stages as "I had no idea where to start and what to do." Confident as she was in performing, writing and communicating with youth and community groups, the business skills did not come as easily. By enrolling on workshops and having an advisor who was supportive and enthusiastic helped her to realise her dream of running her own business.

The Word Bird has participated in ‘The Word Cup' by Apples & Snakes and Radikal Word in April to July 2010, where teams of 13-16 year olds from nine regions of England work with professional poets to create their own poetry and spoken word. The final came on the 16th February 2011 in Stockton Arts Centre where Sky was placed in an amazing second place. Sky trained to be a poet coach for young women whom were taught at Ashington with ETOS (Education Other Than at School) who then went on to win the North East regional final poetry slam competition which involved competing against eight other schools.

Perhaps her greatest moment is being given the award of ‘North East Regional Youth Arts Champion' by ENYAN, a membership body designed to create connections and awareness of the importance of the arts throughout the diverse youth arts sector at national, regional and grass roots levels. Sky hopes to continue as she has started and would love to have more work in the future to prove that self expression through poetry really does change lives as it has her own.

Sky can be contacted at sky@the-word-bird.com and more information can be found at www.the-word-bird.com