Gallus Hen Workshops
Gallus Hen is the name given to the creative workshops Dorothy offers to schools and teachers. In these workshops, she aims to bring something of the 'gallus' fun and feistiness to her work with children from the ages of 9+.
A Gallus Hen workshop helps to embed the Curriculum for Excellence through its use of themes which allow for cross curricular work. Poetry has a place, not only in English lessons, but in science, for example, or environmental studies, or even cooking. Indeed she is more than happy to bring in some of her fellow creative hens from the 'coop', to add another dimension to creative writing. This could be based around craft work, or bread making, working out of doors, or making little books out of hand crafted paper. Almost anything is possible. Do please ask for more details or contact Dorothy to discuss and test out some ideas of how a Gallus Hen Workshop (or series of workshops) could help creative confident learners in your school.
Gallus Hen Workshops can also be arranged for teachers to give them more confidence in using poetry and creative writing.
She is a member of National Association for Writers in Education (www.nawe.co.uk), is on the Scottish Book Trust database (www.scottishbooktrust.com) and is eligible for Live Literature Funding. She has an Enhanced Disclosure.
She is also very happy to offer creative writing workshops in other environments, such as museums, art galleries, community centres, old people's homes, hospitals, prisons - pretty much anywhere in fact. Do get in touch if you're interested in finding out more. Email: dorothybaird@tiscali.co.uk or phone 0131 449 3265.
** As well as being Scots for 'feisty', gallus means 'cockerel' or 'hen' in Latin - a pleasing, if meaningless little piece of serendipity for anyone interested in words. So a gallus hen is a 'feisty lass' or the rather more curious 'hen hen'.
