Poetry & Music Therapy in Practice

The title of this workshop is from a poem by Arthur O’Shaughnessy which has been set to music. In the workshop, which is part of the Northern Ireland Mental Health Arts Festival 2023, you will explore the power of dreams and positive visions through a range of musical experiences and poems.

Poetry and music both have the power to inspire, uplift, and create a sense of wellbeing. In this workshop, we explore the connections between poetry and music through creative activities. Please note that while this event draws on therapeutic aspects of music and poetry therapy, it is not a therapy session. 

You will come away from this workshop with songs and examples of poems which you can use for further development. There will be optional opportunities for creative writing, but no previous experience of writing or music is needed.

If you feel that cost is a barrier to your participation, please get in touch with us at the Crescent for a discount code.

This year’s Northern Ireland Mental Health Arts Festival runs from 11-21 May 2023 (to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week). The programme is a mix of varied, vivid arts events that aim to create a platform for high-quality artwork that deals compassionately and intelligently with mental health. Visit NIMHAF.org to see the full programme of events. 

About the tutors

Kirsty Orr is an experienced Natural Voice Practitioner, Community Music Facilitator and Musical Director. She firmly believes that to sing is to bare one's soul, and encourages everyone to find their authentic natural voice as an innate form of self-expression.  She is the founder and director of the highly successful cross-community and fully inclusive Lisburn Harmony Ladies Choir and its sister choir Earlybirds, a choir for wellbeing.

Shelley Tracey is a poet, creative writing facilitator and Poetry Therapy Practitioner. She is a member of the Lisburn Harmony Ladies Choir, directed by Kirsty.