Robyn has given workshops at schools, festivals, community events and more, including government supported workshops she has organised/co-organised.
The experienced presenter has given workshops on both performance poetry and writing at events as diverse as Norfolk Island’s Writer in Residence program to the National Folk Festival; at schools from Norfolk Island Central School to Orange High to Bowning Public. Robyn has also given workshops in conjunction with the popular Brush with Poetry in Binalong.
Sample workshops
- Earth. Environment. Ecology
Whether we write prose or poetry, nature can inspire us. Come with award-winning writer Robyn Sykes on a workshop journey: explore landscape and its impacts on us; the natural world and our position in it. Investigate the relationships. Play with the sense of place and space. Stretch your mind! - Perfecting your performance – Poetically speaking. In this workshop, Australian Champion Bush Poet Robyn Sykes shares techniques that will bring your poetic performance to life. The session includes tips on microphone technique and practical exercises to start improving your performance immediately, plus a longer-term plan for continued improvement. Individual feedback given if requested. Suitable for all styles of poetry presentations. Novice to intermediate and beyond. Please bring a short poem or part-poem to share (4-8 lines is ideal).
- Cryptic Solutions: How cryptic crosswords help your writing. A how-to workshop that will introduce you to the world of cryptic crosswords and how they can help your writing. Beginners welcome.
- Say More with Less: Crafting effective speeches. Well chosen words are the basis of a good speech. Experienced presenter Robyn Sykes will show you how to lift a speech from the mundane to the inspirational.
- Children’s drama workshop. Bringing Characters to Life with Emotions. Suitable for primary school students.
Workshop highlights
The Toastmasters Conference in Dubbo in May was a highlight of 2021, where Robyn presented Say More with Less.
Unforunately much of the 2020 and 2021 workshop program has been disrupted by COVID.
A 2019 highlight was Woodford Folk Festival: two workshops presented. Cryptic Crosswords and your Writing; Perfecting your Poetry Performance.
Another 2019 highlight was the combined Yass & district schools writing camp held at Warrambui in June, with students from various primary schools in and around Yass, including small outlying schools such as Wee Jasper.
A 2018 highlight were the workshops in Performing and Writing given at Robyn’s local school, Binalong Public, a small school with approx 30 students divided into two classes K-2 and Years 3-6.
Also in 2018 Robyn organised and presented (with co-presenter Janno Scanes) a Children’s Drama Workshop in Binalong, under the auspices of Binalong Arts Group Inc, supported by a CASP grant. Bringing your Characters to Life with Emotions generated extensive positive feedback and many requests for further workshops.
One of the highlights of 2017 for Robyn was presenting both performance and writing workshops at Boyup Brook Country Music Festival in WA.
The Poetry.Prose.Place writing workshop series (2016), was a collaborative project with Lizz Murphy, under the auspices of Binalong Arts Group Inc and supported by a CASP grant (Poetry.Prose.Place 2016). The well-received project involved a series of writing workshops (Lizz Murphy) followed by workshops on presentation (Robyn Sykes). The project culminated with two public performances of the participants work. Feedback from participants was excellent.
