George the Poet at Forest School!

“Electrifying” is just about the only word that can possibly describe the talk given by the latest Look Out lecture guest speaker, George Mpanga- better known by his stage name, George the Poet.

George is a star in the world of spoken word performance and rap. In an inspiring talk, he spoke movingly about growing up in a deprived community in NW London, and how education had saved him from a (potential) life of crime- a life that many of his childhood friends had, sadly, succumbed to. Indeed, our very own Mr Mahmud inspired him to study Sociology at Cambridge University, where his career as a performer really took off. George’s wide-ranging and eye-opening talk drew on his experiences as a rapper, as well as his perspectives on the socio-political issues facing young people in Britain today. His vision of how the arts, in particularly poetry, might help to break cycles of deprivation and bring about meaningful social change was hugely inspiring for our students. Seamlessly interspersed throughout the talk were several of George’s stunning poems. A charismatic and fascinating speaker with a huge amount to say to young people, George’s speech went down a storm with his audience.

What the students said:

“He was able to speak about complex, very relevant issues yet with great clarity, and a way of making it much more relatable and accessible to young people.”

“He was great! The best so far, thoroughly engaging. Articulate and a great speaker all round with brilliant stories with strong morals and points behind them. Very thought provoking!”

“The best lecture this year so far; his commentary on socio-political issues seemed to captivate the audience.”