Educational Resources

Here are some resources for you to run creative sessions related to the Manchester’s DNA project. Each session is self-explanatory and gives opportunity to  creatively explore questions of identity, place, and family. They are  introductory, encouraging sessions that are designed to provoke new  ideas and projects to develop. If your students make some art from this  we would love to see it and possibly share it, please contact Jerome.degroot@manchester.ac.uk to explore this.

Session 1: Mariah Whelan

These three videos focus on using words to explain self and family. Run by poet Mariah Whelan,  these sessions allow students to think about identifying important  words and ideas, and putting them together to make types of poems.

1 Introduction and Warmup: https://youtu.be/hYBAd7aT2NY  

2 Word Lists: https://youtu.be/bnG-MJ8fK9A  

3 Assembling your Collage Poem: https://youtu.be/C9y2ENoVGCw 

Accompanying worksheets for this session: Session Plan Poem template

Session 2: Tessa Harris

These two films focus on the way that poetry might help us talk about  family and place. Run by poet Tessa Harris, these sessions allow  students to reflect upon writing about family and gives them examples  about how other writers do this.

1 Questions tell us more: Family History Writing: https://youtu.be/P84j8lrXLt0

This film has a supporting worksheet: Worksheet – Questions tell us more

2 We are trapped in history: writing about the past: https://youtu.be/IOPJuBaZWtw

This film has a supporting worksheet: Worksheet – We are trapped in history

Session 3: Andee Collard 

These two films allow students to think about visualizing and drawing place. Run by artist Andee Collard the sessions allow students to think about how illustration works, to  look at maps in some detail, and to consider making their own typeface  to express the essence of ‘Manchester’.

1 Mapping and Drawing: https://youtu.be/ayAVcLTThdA

2 Manchester in Typefaces: https://youtu.be/QCPKop4qQeM