Artist/Poet
 Workshop, Winterbourne Gardens, May 2024 |  Mapping Workshop, Netherton Creative Map project, Netherton, July 2022 |  Wildlife Walk, The Wildlife Trust & Artist Lee Mackenzie, Dartmouth Park, May 2023 © Kelly Hadley |  Mapping Workshop, Elan to Birmingham project, MAC, July 2023 |  Mapping Workshop at the Friendship Group, Netherton Creative Map project, Netherton, June 2022 |  Creative Mapping and Writing Workshop, Netherton Creative Map project, Netherton, July 2022 |
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 Writing-Up Following a Walking Workshop, Walthamstow Wetlands, Walthamstow, January 2019 |  Reimagine Redditch Mapping Workshop, Redditch Library, April 2024 |  Monthly Writing Group Workshop, Artefact (gallery space), Stirchley, 2022-ongoing. |  Portrait Mapping Workshop, Judith Alder Exhibition 'Vital Signs', RBSA, February 2023 |  Timed writing in the Birdwatching Hide, Walthamstow Wetlands, Walthamstow, August 2019 |  Mapping on paper, Winterbourne Gardens, May 2024 |
WRITING & MAPPING WORKSHOPS
In these workshops we look to produce a poem, story or map in response to a new idea, perspective or initiative: the topic of the workshop is flexible but works best in response to the place in which it is situated.
We can also walk and write/map! Often, an essential part of these creative workshops is a walk through the local environment. I find this can help to encourage a connection to a place and get the ideas flowing. I use aspects of local history, old maps, prompts and questions throughout the walk to support participants to connect with the place and then give them the time to draft their work in a more traditional, seated setting.
Workshop Videos
A walking and mapping workshop undertaken as part of the Netherton Creative Map project led by Lee Mackenzie & Lauren Hatchard, Netherton, Dudley, 2022
A walking workshop led by
Lee Mackenzie & Alexandra Carr, Durham County, 2019
TESTIMONIALS
‘Lee was a pleasure to work with from our first conversation to the workshop delivery. He delivered his mapping and poetry workshops to people who traditionally didn’t engage in creativity and suffered a level of isolation and loneliness, as a part of Reimagine Redditch Have a Go! Project. Lee was well prepared, with a deep understanding of Redditch and the borough. He made the participants feel comfortable and relaxed with a caring and friendly manner. The participants were diverse, from various backgrounds and ages. The participants really enjoyed working with Lee, taking part, and creating their own personal map artworks, they were keen to carry on at the end of each workshop.
Huw
(Reimagine Redditch)
It was a pleasure to work with Lee on my Vital Signs art project in Birmingham. Lee took the lead developing and delivering workshops which ran alongside my art exhibition at the RBSA Gallery. I really enjoyed Lee's inventive and well informed approach which made the workshops lively, interesting and informative, and which encouraged creativity in relaxed but structured sessions. Lee was well prepared, totally reliable and super-organised. I felt very confident about letting him take the lead on the planning and delivery of these activities which really complimented the work in the gallery and enriched the project by providing a different approach and perspective.
Judith
Elan Links commissioned Lee to create a poetry map which connected the Elan Valley to Birmingham, through a series of workshops at either site. His workshops were well thought out, and he managed to bring participants out of their shells, making the act of writing "poetry" seem less daunting to people who don't consider themselves poets.
Rosie
Lee designed and led a workshop for our artist development programme BCN, which invited participants to explore the relationship between artistic practice and the re-development of our high streets, with poetry mapping as a starting point for these conversations. Lee is a fantastic workshop facilitator, he hosted a welcoming space where people felt comfortable and inspired to take part.
Jess
"Here [Walthamstow Wetlands] I attended a superb and inspiring course in poetry. We were taught about structure: Start with a theme, reintroduce it as a rhythm throughout, bring it in at the end. I hadn't really considered a structure like this in my poetry. There was also something very exciting I hadn't reckoned on learning, my poetry was a bit of alright!"
Mike
"Lee packed a great range of exercises into the workshop, and made full use of the beautiful surroundings of the Walthamstow Wetlands. The pace varied throughout in a really effective way to keep the energy and ideas flowing. I came away with a new understanding of ways to pin down the purpose of a poem and a developing first draft."
Becky
"I attended three of Lee's poetry workshops and found them to be both entertaining and enlightening. He delivered well-planned, researched and thoughtful workshops through a combination of outside and classroom based writing exercises and prompts and enabled us to look at nature through different perspectives.
We were encouraged to share our writing in a friendly and supportive atmosphere but no pressure if sharing was not for you."
Tricia
"Lee’s poetry class is suitable for all levels of experience. As a beginner he will put you at ease and be on hand to help you. Lee has prompts and challenges to inspire you throughout the class. You will go home with the beginnings of a poem or at the very least an idea for one. Lee is generous with his time and will be there to provide constructive criticism so you’ll end up with verse that you can be proud of. I can’t think of a better way to spend a couple of hours."