Testimonials
Alex Morrisroe:
As a writer it’s difficult to admit to being speechless, but expressing my gratitude to you Lennie does just that. Before you took a chance on my play I was ready to hang up my pen. I had written a novel which was universally hated due to its ‘controversial’ content and I was being to think I had nothing relevant or even vaguely entertaining left to say. When I wrote the play ‘The Crucifixion of Madeline McKay’ it was do or die for me. When you billed it for DYSSING MONADYS you breathed life back into my ambition; it was, in effect, a creative kiss of life. You spotted something in me others had missed, realised that underneath the faults and rough edges I had something, something I could coax out and polish. By taking the chance on my play you gave me the vote of confidence I needed to grow as a writer. My self-belief bloomed and I have since gone on to be mentored by North-West Playwrights to finish my second play and came runner up in Commonword’s 2008 Novel writing competition.
Having dyslexia and dyscalculia is not easy, especially if you want to tell stories. The tales are there, buzzing like a potential migraine in your mind, yet the mechanics of expressing this in a formulated, formatted way is depressingly arduous. You are the only person I’ve met to date who has fully understood this discrepancy, who honours its intrinsic value and battles beyond its frustrating barriers. I feel infected by your dedication and determination, it’s a wonderful feeling.
So I want to thank you for believing in me, which enabled me to believe in myself. I thank you for your vision, your guts, and your passion. You’re an inspiration. A multi-talented flash of lightning! I wish you every success in the future – keep pushing x.
Teacher from Lexy LAY QK School (London):
I am a teacher in a culturally diverse inner-city comprehensive school. When I went to the opening of SpeechMotion I was moved by the passion of the performing artists and the relevance of the verses they were performing. At the end of the evening I approached Lennie and let her know that this kind of inspiration is exactly what pupils at schools in London need…. a way to share their experiences and to express their ever-complex emotions in a structured way. After enjoying the SpeechMotion event so much; a colleague and I set up a programme for 60 bright students at our school to explore poetry and develop some of their own ideas. We kicked off the programme with an event with performers from SpeechMotion and msft. Through the msft film and performance were made more accessible to our students and the dedicated poets who came in to perform to and teach small groups inspired our pupils’ young imaginations. Every single student in our poetry focus groups said that the visits from the performing poets and the one-on-one work they did with them was the best thing that they’ve done since returning to school in September. I would highly recommend other schools to work with msft and let them bring poetry to life in your classrooms.
