Click on a heading to find out more about working with Ben.
Workshops
Ben is an experienced facilitator, with more than 15 years of experience. He has lead sessions exploring creativity, poetry, creative writing, improvisation, theatre and comedy.
This work has spanned participants as young as 4 all the way through to participants past retirement age. He has worked on youth projects, mental health and wellbeing programmes and profession development opportunities. Past clients include University of Nottingham, Derby Poetry Festival and the National Trust.
Find out more about specific offerings below or connect with Ben via the Contact Me page, to tailor workshops to your needs.
Workshops for Schools
Ben has worked with schools groups from primary through to tertiary stages of education. Whether that is for poetry, drama or PHSE, Ben is an experienced hand at getting young folks excited about their creativity. Whether you’re looking for a halfway workshop to get Year 5 excited about rhyme or a multi day project devising work with college students, Ben has years of practice helping young people say what matters to them.
Sample Workshops
- KS1 Playing with Rhyme
- KS1 Animal Poems
- KS2 Metaphors for Me
- KS3 Writing in Response
- A-Level Devising Drama
Sample Workshops
- Roleplay for Resilience
- Paper Minds – Exploring your Mental Health
- Improvisation for Sales
- Everything they Wrecked – The fallout of school poetry
Workshops for Organisations
Whether you are a business working to improve adaptability, an arts organisation building an outreach programme, or a festival looking at routes into public participation, Ben can provide workshops that will empower your participants. In designing any workshop like this, Ben will consult with your team members to make sure that a session hits your objectives clearly.
“Ben’s a great facilitator, readily adaptable to individuals’ needs and learning experiences. He delivers with confidence, humour and warmth, creating a positive environment for all.” Nick Tyler, MissImp
“Ben was reliable, honest and developed good relationships with young people and the team. He brought a sense of fun and energy to the room” – Leanne Taylor, Taylor Made Arts
“He is an energetic, enthusiastic and engaging facilitator, drawing in even the most reluctant participant, and he has the knack of making the creative process of writing poetry feel both attainable and fun … He is conscientious in his role, and his self-evaluation is always thorough. I’d recommend him without hesitation”. – Jan Kemp, SlamJam
Performance
Poetry & Cabaret
Ben is most widely know as a performance poet, he has appeared around the country at events for all ages, ranging from primary school to those with a much more … Adult… audience. Highly adaptable, Ben is a confident performer, bringing even the most cynical audiences onside with his warm stage presence and sense of playfulness. He is also an energetic host and compere. You can find out more about his work on the Shows page.
Poetry Credits Include
- Loud Poets – Edinburgh
- Bad Betty Live – Nottingham
- Good Shout – Peterborough
- Essex Poetry Collective – Colchester
Cabaret Credits include
- The Magic Faraway Cabaret – Edinburgh
- The Midnight Mania Cabaret – Edinburgh
- Phantoms and Flappers – Darlington
- Queer AF Cabaret – Milton Keynes
Voice Acting & Voice Over
Voice Reel Coming soon
With a clear tone that would be comfortable on BBC Radio 4, a confidence in finding character in accent and a home recording set-up, Ben has performed a handful of voice over roles including as the narrator for Caesar Ink’s Doomsong on Kickstarter, various characters on the Glorious Free Republic of Yorkshire Radio Show. He has also performed his own work on BBC Local Radio through BBC Upload.
Theatre & Improv
Ben has a natural command of the stage, and brings an easy gravitas to his work. If you are interested in a performer who is as comfortable with a snappy comedy as a greek tragedy, then he might be the man you are looking for. As an improviser Ben has appeared at multiple festivals and improv-a-thons, he brings grounded characters and a sharp with playfulness that pushes a show forwards.
“Nicely Naturalistic”
Fergus Morgan – The Stage
Dramaturgy & Feedback
Are you looking for support as you develop your own work? Ben has provided critical support across a wide range of performance art forms. As a dramaturg he has provided a sounding board and insight to artists creating solo shows, more traditional theatre and storytelling projects. His ethos is that anyone can tell a great story but sometimes we need help getting ideas in order or asking the useful questions. He’s also led workshops on dramaturgy for Chronic Insanity Theatre as well as private workshops for numerous projects.
Ben also can provide insight into editing writing, structuring poetry sets and meta narrative for both the page and the stage. He has worked on a variety of funded, and unfunded projects with rates adjustable accordingly. If you are interested in working with Ben please reach out via the Contact Me page.
“He was patient, supportive and kind at every turn”
Leanne Moden, Poet
Commissions
A piece of special writing is an amazing way to mark a special occasion, reflect on an anniversary or celebrate something you want to shout about. Ben has delivered commissions across poetry and theatre for various organisations including the Pint of Science Festival, the Nott Alone Project and Metro Boulot Dodo. His work can be tailored to different audiences and messages, whether that is for a performance by him or to be shared separately.
Please be aware that timelines for these projects might need negotiation. Prices are arranged on a commission by commission level. Contact Me to begin an enquiry.
Mentorship
Ben has mentored several young creatives as they start to form their own careers. From writers learning their craft to facilitators beginning to freelance, Ben can provide professional and friendly mentorship. If you are looking to build a mentoring programme into a project, please go to the Contact Me page, and message when you are building the budget.
Ben Macpherson 