CLARE E.POTTER, PTP in Training ,
South Wales
I am a Welsh speaking poet, performer and radio presenter. As a poet and creative writing workshop facilitator I faced burnout during the pandemic and was offered some courses with Jill Teague as respite. This way of working expanded my appreciation for what poetry could offer, that it could help someone process and action change. I have devoted my writing, facilitating and mentoring to writing for well-being and have begun to facilitate in Welsh.
My most recent poetry collection Healing the Pack, traces my journey of healing after traumatic childhood experience and finding strength in a long line of working class ancestors from the South Wales coalfield. I also directed a BBC documentary The Wall and the Mirror which shows community resilience. A source of inspiration and strength to me. I am newly discovered neurodivergent and have over 30 years’ experience of teaching, lecturing, creative collaboration, and facilitation
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
Poetry Therapy Practitioner in Training
Master’s Degree in Afro Caribbean Literature
I ACT mental health training
Awards include CREATE grant from the Arts Council of Wales to work with Jill Teague, Travel grant from Wales Arts International and Wales Arts Health and Wellbeing Network to attend a poetry therapy conference in the USA. I won a Charles Coles Travel scholarship and Arts Council Wales funding for a poetry/jazz project about Hurricane Katrina, writing bursaries from Literature Wales and the Society of Authors
Worked with organisations such as Llamau, Cardiff Mind, various health boards, Fathom Trust, Landmark Trust, Valleys Steps, CASCADE, Greater New Orleans Writing Project
SPECIAL INTERESTS
Green Spirituality, eco-spirituality, climate justice
Strengths of Neurodivergence
Collaboration with other artist wellbeing practitioners
Working class community as rich resource
Minority Languages
Motherhood
Cross generational trauma and healing