When acclaimed poet Elizabeth McKim isn’t writing, performing or instructing a poetry reading, she can be found working with educators and children using poetry as a therapeutic tool for maintaining mental health.
From Jan. 23 to 26, McKim, in collaboration with the Expressive Arts Institute, will hold a workshop and two poetry readings at the NTC Promenade in Point Loma to demonstrate and educate about the therapeutic side of one of the world’s great art forms. The workshop is presented as the first installment of a three-part series on poetry by NTC resident arts group Expressive Arts Institute.
For the last eight years, McKim’s work with education, poetry and children has brought her to the Expressive Arts Institute to work with Director Judith Greer Essex. This week the nonprofit celebrates the move from its former location in North Park to the new space at the mixed-use arts and culture center at Liberty Station.
The Expressive Arts Institute, in affiliation with the European Graduate School in Switzerland, provides Master’s level education and training for people who use the arts to bring about change for therapeutic reasons or organizational team building, Essex said.
“When we use our aesthetic sensibilities and our creativity, we are more likely to make good choices and good decisions,” she added.
As part of the readings and workshop, McKim will read excerpts from her works in progress and upcoming book, “Elizabethridge and the Necessity of Motion,” a compilation of memoirs and writings covering her 10-year relationship with critically acclaimed poet Etheridge Knight.
According to McKim, Knight started defining himself as a poet while in prison in the 1960’s. Knight went on to become an important literary figure after publishing his first book of poetry, “Poems from Prison” (1968), according to a biography from the Web site for the Academy of American Poets.
“They’re poems that, actually, I think will really endure in our language and our culture.” McKim said of Knight’s work, which has been featured on programs such as Russell Simmons’ Def Poetry Jam. Knight passed away of lung cancer in 1991.
McKim lives in Boston and has been involved with poetry for more than 30 years. She has authored five volumes of poetry, including “The Red Thread” from Leapfrog Press in 2003, as well as the textbook “Beyond Words: Writing Poems with Children.” Her knowledge of poetry and expressive arts has led her all over the country to work with institutions such as Lesley University in Boston and the Expressive Arts Institute, showing educators how to integrate poetry into education. She said she enjoys working with children using various instruments in combination with spoken performances and other media.
“I try to make poetry a lively art. I think that’s because I feel that it is a lively art. And there’s so many people who have poetry in them and things that they need to say,” McKim said.
McKim, along with other writers, will present a free reading titled “Big World, Little World: Poems of Memory and Relationship” Tuesday, Jan. 23, from noon to 1:30 p.m.
The events continue Thursday, Jan. 25, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a poetry workshop designed for social workers, elementary school teachers and counselors. The class will focus on the therapeutic uses of poetry in a classroom or instructional setting. On Friday, Jan. 26, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m McKim will read excerpts from Elizabethridge.
The students of the San Diego affiliate of the accredited Expressive Arts Institute have contributed over 20,000 hours of service to the community. The Institute has been recognized by the city for that service to the community in recent years, Essex said.
The Master’s program involves training and course work in how to facilitate art making in the five disciplines, including music, dance, theatre, visual art and poetry. The graduate students learn about the aesthetics and philosophy and as well as practical knowledge on how to make art that is meaningful to their own life, Essex said.
“[The arts] give voice to our imagination. It can help us develop our character. It can help us clarify our values. It can offer us a place to express, frankly, our suffering … The arts can help give meaning to our lives,” Essex said.
Essex will co-facilitate the Jan. 25 interactive poetry workshop along with McKim. Participants will be able to write and read poetry and have opportunities for feedback. Although the workshop and poetry readings are not open-microphone events, the readings are free and open to the public. The cost for the poetry workshop for professionals in the field is $90 for pre-registration or $100 at the door. The workshop is limited to 20 participants and will be held at the new location at 2820 Roosevelt St., Building 201, Suite 204. For more information, call the Expressive Arts Institute at (619) 239-1713.