As part of the Middlesbrough New Deals Schools Writing Project, the poet Pat Borthwick has been working with Year 4 pupils at St Francis RC Primary School, Whinney Banks.
On Wednesday April 4th at 1.30 pm a giant poem entitled ‘My Street’, created by the whole class, will be erected on an advertising hoarding on Acklam Road opposite Whinney Banks Community Centre. The class will be present with Pat Borthwick, Mrs J Appalloni, their teacher and deputy head and visual artist Sarah Hill who has also been working with the same class, to launch the event with a public reading of the poem.
Also present will be a team of parents and governors who have helped erect it on long ladders. A representative from New Deals and Cleveland Arts (the project co-ordinators) will also be present as well as any other enthusiastic supporters.
Wrexham Signs of Wales have kindly donated the site for free and Sign-a-Rama, formerly of Middlesbrough but now in York, have manufactured the sign at a greatly reduced cost. They were both impressed by the quality of the poem and the enthusiasm of all involved.
The sign will be in situ for 4-6 weeks.
In May, St Francis RC Primary School will join with other local schools involved in the project in a performance of their work – date and venue to be arranged.