Hempstead Valley is collaborating with poet James McInerney @poetryproject08 @MillsMc07 to bring poetry into places you wouldn't normally see it and open people’s eyes to the joy of poetry. James has written a number a poems under the title of The Poetry Project, which has been running since December 2018. His poems have appeared in various locations throughout the UK, you might have seen one of his poems on a service information board in the London Underground, an airport or shared via social media. The project also aims to ‘spread positivity over the world’ with James’ poems starting to appear in USA and Australia.
#poetryinpublic is just part of The Poetry Project, which also aims to use the medium of poetry to spread awareness of mental health issues in order to help those who are suffering.
Naomi Williams, Marketing Executive, said “During January and February a dozen poems will be displayed in the centre, with various themes including friendship, nature, love and facing our fears. James’ poems can be seen throughout the shopping centre and via our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram channels.”
James McInerney from The Poetry Project said, “The aim of the project is to spread positivity. We live in a world that is full of negativity and that level of constant negativity is aiding the Mental Health Issues that we see today, that are currently on the rise.
There needs to be more of a balance in society. Of course there will be bad news and even fake news, that will never change, but we need to balance that out with positivity.”
James continued, “The project’s messages are positive and empowering. They are designed to make the general public take time out of their busy lives to stop and think. When you read something that you connect to, it means you are not alone in regards to the way that you feel and if you are not alone, life is more manageable on a daily basis.
When I see people posting pictures on social media saying that the quotes made their day, it really makes the whole project worthwhile. Words can be powerful when used in the right context, I think this project achieves all the things it sets out to do on so many different levels and it is continually growing and evolving to suit every single environment it is in.
The general public have been amazing! They have been taking selfies with the quotes and sharing the project on their social sites, giving it a life online too.”
