The Positive Schools Team are excited and delighted to welcome on board a new Positive Schools ambassador, poet, educator and presenter ‘Luka Lesson’.
With two years of international touring, 11 Writers’ Festivals, 7 years of school workshop experience and almost ten years of writing under his belt, Luka ‘Lesson’ Haralampou has written commissions and performed for the likes of The Nuyorican Poets’ Cafe (NYC), The National Gallery of Victoria, Trinity International Hip-hop Festival and China’s most celebrated living poet Xi Chuan at Beijing University.
He was also a stand out presenter at Positive Schools 2014 across all four events.
Luka’s experience ranges from teaching Indigenous Studies at Monash University, coordinating inter-cultural symposia and forums, as well as facilitating hundreds of hip-hop and poetry workshops with young people from a variety of schools in Australia and overseas.
Luka’s book, The Future Ancients, is a collection of his slam poetry pieces and rap verses produced as a testament to the poetic nature of young storytelling.
The Future Ancients provides a culturally and socially relevant opportunity to encourage students of all ages (and their teachers!) to also tell their own stories and be heard. A sentiment that Luka so beautifully expresses in his poem “The Poet’s Quote” presented in the book…
The Poet’s Quote
by Luka Lesson
Don’t bother listening to the poets
when you need us the most
That’s when the poet’s quote is about to rise within you
be patient
it will happen
from the inside out
I’d prefer to teach you to listen to yourself rather than listen to me
so you hear exactly the quote you need
precisely when you need it
I never wish to make you stay
when in your heart
you know you need to run
run without us
and let me know how it goes
I’ll pin your answer on my wall,
for inspiration.
In celebration of his joining Positive Schools, Luka has generously offered downloadable copies of ‘Future Ancients’ FREE to all Positive Times readers.
Click HERE to download your copy of Future Ancients to share with your students, to engage them and support them in the creation of meaningful and relevant verse of their own.
Welcome Luka…
…and thank-you for inspiring so many of us, young and old, to pick up a pen and find a voice.
