POETRY in Action (PiA), the travelling, educational theatre company, brought its interactive live poetry and literature performance to Coffs Harbour Christian Community School (CH CCS) on 9 June.
The performance was part of the 2026 regional tour that introduces students to poetry, language and storytelling through contemporary live theatre.
It is curated to make literature accessible and engaging for young audiences, while giving schools access to professional arts experiences that directly support classroom learning and inspire a love of literature in young Australians, regardless of where they live or their socioeconomic background.
Founded by stage and TV actor Bryce Youngman, the non-profit organisation has reached one million students during the past 20 years, unlocking the power of words and using the creative power of poetry to help the youth find their voice and steer away from negative influences.
CH CCS student statements after the performance showed many revelations in learning while being entertained.
Comments included, “I found it really intriguing and interesting because I wanted to know what would happen next”, “I thought it was interesting how they challenged parts of society through poems and how they used examples as recent as the last two years and as old as the 1500s”.
Many said the PiA performance was a great experience, “showcasing important moments in history whilst incorporating English and poetry”.
Some noted specific learnings: “It was a great display of persuasive techniques in action shown in ways that got us as students to really listen and think for ourselves both about the arguments being presented and the way they were given” and “it opened up my eyes to get a feel for (war poet) Wilfred Owen’s experiences and how he felt about certain ideas”.
Coffs Harbour Christian Community School teachers also had praise for what PiA brought to their students.
Teacher Mrs Offord said, “The show was very engaging for the students.”
Mr Loadsman found it “totally hilarious”, adding, “The actors’ performances were authentic and got a big tick from the students”.
Mrs Hope said, “Today’s Poetry in Action (performance) was a true delight – listening to the actors perform various famous and influential speeches from throughout history reinforced the importance of not only the spoken word, but the value of listening to one another.
She then referenced her favourite quote: “You’ll never be great until you learn how to listen”.
Poetry in Action continues to reach young audiences around Australia and has performed to students across the world with tours in New Zealand, Hong Kong and Dubai.
By Andrea FERRARI
You can help your local paper.
Make a small once-off, or (if you can) a regular donation.
We are an independent family owned business and our newspapers are free to collect and our news stories are free online.
Help support us into the future.
