Global Creative Writing: Exploring Expressive Styles from All Continents (Virtual)

$60.00 available on subscription

Get creative and embrace different cultures from all around the world with LEAF Teaching Artist Lisa Smith in this virtual course.

Global Creative Writing: Exploring Expressive Styles from All Continents

with LEAF Resident Teaching Artist Lisa Smith

Wednesdays 3:30-4:30 (Zoom), April 12 – May 28, ages 10-14 suggested

$60 per 7-week course

Each week we will explore a writing tradition from a different continent, learning about the art form and its origin, and then create collaboratively in that form.  Additionally, students may create their own compositions to submit via email. Poetry, stories, and songs will be shared after class in an online journal on the LEAF website!

Week 1) Asia: Haiku (poetry)

Week 2) Africa: West African Griot (oral stories)

Week 3) North America: Blues (song)

Week 4) South America: Folk songs (song)

Week 5) Europe: Limericks (poetry)

Week 6) Australia & Antarctica: Folk tales (story)

Week 7) Antarctica (travelogues)

 

AN URGENT LETTER FROM THE LEAF BOARD:

For nearly 30 years, LEAF Global Arts has connected people through the power of art, music, and culture. Every shared moment has been made possible because of you – our community.

The LEAF Festival is critical to funding LEAF’s larger work: providing global cultural arts programming for thousands of local youth and preserving cultures and traditions around the world.

This year, we are facing a financial crossroads: between the loss of last fall’s Festival, losing a majority of our arts education funding in 2025, and not fully recovering from COVID, the future is bleak. The upcoming LEAF Festival could be our last if we don’t come together to sustain the heart of LEAF’s mission – but we have seen what this community can do when united for a cause greater than itself.

To open the Festival experience to as many people as possible, and to rally the full spirit of LEAF, we are offering a limited number of LEAF LOVE Tickets at a significant discount.

These special tickets, offered at 30% off (our highest discount, even more so than our Early Bird pricing) are our way of ensuring everyone has a place in this story. Full-priced tickets also remain available for those with the means to give a little more to help support LEAF’s vital work.

Your presence, your voice, and your support matter more than ever right now. Join us in making this LEAF Festival one that the world will never forget and ensuring the music continues for generations to come. 

Mayani is a Maasai boy from longido Arusha. He went to boarding school at 6 years old and lost his Maasai language and tradition. Since joining the LEAF program, he has learned to sing Maasai songs, practiced the ‘jump’ tradition and wear Maasai shukas (traditional clothing). Mayani is extremely happy and is currently teaching other youth the culture.