Campus poetry walk
Showcasing student poetry inspired by locations on our East Midlands campus.
We've commissioned 10 Loughborough University students to write a poem inspired by a location on our East Midlands campus. These poems form a special audio poetry walk which launches on Monday 10 May 2021.
In order to access this walk you will need to download the free Overhear app onto your phone or tablet (available from the App Store or Google Play). The app pins the poems to the location on campus that they were inspired by. When you are in the location of the poem you will be able to listen to the poem, recorded by the student who wrote it. Use the map on the app to help you locate the exact position. The recordings have also been updloaded to Sound Cloud and are available further down this page.
Poems and locations:
- A Sketch of Martin Hall by Rebecca Pearson (Martin Hall courtyard)
- The Court of Life by Aleida Hammond (Ball park)
- Memoirs of (insert Uni student ID number here) by Payton Clifford (Students' union - down the side where the hairdressers and opticians are)
- Dinnertime by Ruth Northey (Running track at Claudia Parsons Hall)
- Wavy Top, Anchored Shoulders by Josh Brooks (Wavy Top)
- Parcels by Isabelle Alderson (Post room)
- Queen Cedar and her Watchers by Izabel Radley (The cedar tree/The Watchers sculpture)
- Then/Now by Eleanor Gudgin (Faraday Royce dining hall)
- Starlight on the Hill by Angeline Lee (Hill next to STEMLab)
- Bathaus by Caspar Wort (Bathaus)
The poetry walk was commissioned by LU Arts to mark Mental Health Awareness Week (10-16 May 2021). It offers you the opportunity to get outside and engage in your surroundings, taking a moment for yourself and unwinding from the daily stressses of life. The walk is also an opportunity to showcase the incredible student talent we have here at Loughborough.
Important note for android users: if you downloaded the app prior to Wednesday 12 May then you will need to update it in the Google Play Store in order to access the map. An 'update' button should appear next to the app in the Play store or you can delete the app and re-install it.
Accessibility
Please be aware that Bathaus is accessed via a loose gravel path, which may not be accessible to wheelchair users. A written copy of this poem is available on request for those who can't access it via the app.
If you have a hearing impairment then written copies of all the poems are available on request; please email LUArts@lboro.ac.uk.
Student Poets
Rebecca Pearson
I am an Undergraduate at Loughborough University studying English. I am originally from Hertfordshire but currently live in Dorset. I enjoy using writing as a medium through which to explore identity and our place in the world, and my poetry is often inspired my music, experimenting with its sound and form.
Aleida Hammond
Aleida Hammond is a poet and an artist. She writes poetry to discuss different issues such as faith, race and to change perceptions of poetry. She also uses her talent to speak on taboo issues such as depression and mental health issues in the Black community. She is currently studying Fine Art her first year at Loughborough University. You can find her on @aleida.h.poetry/@aleida.h.art/@aleida.h.faith on Instagram.
Payton Clifford
My name is Payton and I'm a second year Psychology with Criminology student. I love writing poetry about people or places that inspire me, as I find it an emotive form of expression.
Ruth Northey
I am a mature postgraduate student, studying for a Master’s in Social Science Research prior to continuing with a PhD in the School of Sports, Exercise and Health Sciences where I will be investigating the role of fitness apps in physical activity and wellbeing. I am quite active myself – I enjoy camping, running and hiking and make regular trips to beautiful parts of the UK. My journey into poetry began when I was just 10 years old, but I have only recently started writing again. I am inspired by themes of nature, love and suffering and draw on my own struggles with mental health to create poetry that I hope resonates with others.
Josh Brooks
I'm 23 years old, from Billericay in Essex, and am in my final year of my English Literature degree. I like to play baseball for the social element, like to keep fit through cycling, Karate and running, and I'm learning Brazilian Portuguese, Japanese and Russian for travel.
Isabelle Alderson
I'm a final year Psychology with Criminology student at Loughborough University, and I LOVE all things creative. Poetry is a powerful medium for self-expression; for me, writing has always been an outlet that I've used to metabolise my feelings and shape the way that I reflect on my experiences. When I'm not writing or studying, I love running, yoga, and digital illustration. One day, I aspire to live on a deserted beach with an abundance of rescued animals, writing and drawing all day.
Izabel Radley
Izabel Radley is in her final year studying English with Creative Writing at Loughborough University. She is interested in writing poetry and prose that animates the world around her and brings objects to life. If she didn’t love writing, Izabel would be rubbing two coins together trying to open a vegan café in the middle of nowhere.
Eleanor Gudgin
My name is Ellie Gudgin and I am a second-year English Literature student. I have studied creative writing modules as a part of my course and in an effort to push myself out of my comfort zone have been writing more poetry! My hobbies include baking and crochet, which I sometimes use as inspiration for my poetry. At the weekends I like to go on walks with my beagle Dolly.
Angeline Lee
I'm a product design engineering student from Loughborough university and am rediscovering my passion for the arts through storytelling and writing. My writing is usually reserved for self-expression and occasional narrations as a DM in D&D! I hope that one day I am able to gain the necessary skills to do the stories I have inside me justice
Caspar Wort
I am originally from a rural area of north Essex and came to Loughborough in 2018 to study a BA in English and Drama. I am now in my final year of study and have been writing poetry regularly since arriving at Loughborough, including regularly attending LU Arts' Speech Bubble Event. I chose to write about the Bat House because it was such a pleasant surprise to me when I first found it whilst walking around campus. It is excellently backdropped by modern architecture and is a great reminder of how the natural world can survive on what humans leave behind them.