Poetic City Workshop - The London Planes of Odgers Lane

Six trees stand bare limbed in the inner courtyard of the iconic Melbourne Building, inviting our wonder and creativity. The London plane trees are hardy city dwellers, reaching up magnificently, elegant with their patterned bark.

Sarah St Vincent Welch, poet, teacher and creator of the Kindred Trees Project, will guide you to write short poems in various forms in response to the London planes, their histories, and the ambience and ecosystem of Odger’s Lane. We will swap stories of how wintry city life shapes us and shapes the trees, and then retire to Smith’s Alternative to write together, for an experience that is part invigorating, part cozy, and a bit surreal!

And one of your poems could be part of a temporary installation in Odger’s Lane in July to celebrate our Poetic City.

Sarah St Vincent Welch is a writer known for chalking her poems on the footpaths at arts festivals. She has facilitated writing in our community for over thirty years, is an ardent Canberra lover, and founder of the ‘Kindred Trees’ poetry and Canberra trees project (kindredtrees.com.au). She is also part of ‘That Poetry Thing That is On At Smiths Every Monday’ organising group.