Jason’s Poetry
Jason is a published poet, writer and workshop facilitator.
Jason conway, Published Poet & Author
I’m a professional daydreamer based in Stroud, Gloucestershire. Drawing inspiration from social issues, mental health and the transformative power of nature, my mission is to encourage people to make a positive difference in the world.
I am a published poet and an award-winning freelance creative and visual artist. I’m also a Co-Director of the Gloucestershire Poetry Society and Founder of indie arts magazine ‘Steel Jackdaw’. I’ve headlined at the Gloucestershire Poetry Festival and Swindon’s Rusty Goat Poetry Corner and performed at the 2000 Trees Festival, The Space In-Between Festival and the Cheltenham Poetry Festival. Two recorded poems were published on BBC Upload in 2024 across South West radio channels.
I have been published in Poetry Undressed, The Blue Nib, Poetry Bus, The Poetry Village, Impspired, Dreich, Fevers of the Mind, Ink Sweat and Tears magazines and numerous anthologies. I’m also published on the Ledbury Festival website, received a commendation from Wild Words, was Highly Commended in the Yaffle’s Nest ‘What We Inherit From Water’ competition 2024, and was shortlisted for January’s Poem of the Month by Ink Sweat and Tears.
“Jason’s poetry is precise and highly technical. He unfolds in front of his reader.”
Creative Writing MA Graduate
I graduated with an MA in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University in October 2022. My poetry manuscript titled ‘The Wash of Hours’ has been submitted to publishers for publishing.
I now run poetry workshops for poets to develop their writing, as well as mentoring opportunities.
If you are a poet looking for editing support, guidance or critical appraisal, get in touch for a chat.
2022 Stoke-on-Trent Neurodiversity Festival
I am an Arts Council funded poet, commissioned for the 2022 Stoke-on-Trent Neurodiversity Festival by the ADHD Foundation and the Stoke City Centre BID. My commissioned poem ‘We Are Beautifully Unique’ is situated adjacent to the Word Art Mural in the City’s Peace Garden in Hanley, Stoke on Trent. I facilitated poetry workshops with local schoolchildren, and their poems were part of a virtual gallery that included artwork by students at Pinc College.
The Gloucestershire poetry society
I’m the Director of the Gloucestershire Poetry Society. Aside from running the society, I help to promote and market its events and festivals, as well as graphic and website design and social media marketing. I run poetry workshops and host and co-host open mic events.
From its humble beginnings, the society has grown to over 1000 Facebook members worldwide, holding regular monthly open mic events in Gloucester and Cheltenham before the lockdown. Currently, there is a monthly open mic event (Crafty Crows) via ZOOM with international artists taking part.
Tell your brand story through poetry
Create a unique and compelling brand story through the power of worlds. Hire me to create a unique poem to celebrate an event, a new marketing campaign or a new product or service.
Use the power of poetry to attract new audiences and customers for your brand.
I can write a bespoke poem to engage people and create positive emotions for your business and brand. Other instances of how poetry can be used for promotion are at sporting events, award ceremonies, charity dinners, interior design and wall art.
You could have a poem displayed as an art installation, or as part of an interior office refurbishment, as a feature wall or in a recreation room, conference room or atrium.
Poetry Workshops for Business wellbeing
As a poet, I deliver poetry workshops to help boost staff creativity and combat stress and anxiety in the workplace. Poetry is such a powerful and expressive art form that can help unlock hidden potential and creative thinking. It also helps people to appreciate life, nature and each other by learning to really study people’s surroundings and all sides of an issue.
“I asked Jason Conway to run a ‘How to write poetry’ session at The Space In-between Festival 2020. A festival about the space in-between a door closing and the next door opening in your life. It was what we all needed. A space to think and create. Structure to help thoughts roam free. Playing in a space with no boundaries or rules. Just guidance and prompts to provoke ideas.
People joined in. And then people tried it. People who had never written poetry before. Or thought about it before. And they shared it. It was brilliant.
It was more than how to write poetry. It was a chance to sit with silence and hear your thoughts. And try something without judgement. Go out of comfort zone, do something new, try something different. You never know until you try.”
Poetry Workshops for Education, health & charity
Poetry workshops can help to nurture healing and creativity in those that have suffered or are still suffering from a range of mental health issues, as well as issues linked to mental and physical abuse, alcohol and drug abuse, bullying, grief, divorce and separation etc.
© The Sentinel Newspaper
Poetry enables people to unlock their pain and transfer it onto paper, or a screen, as a way of healing and understanding. It can also be a powerful tool for awareness and change, empowering people to share their experiences with others.
In it’s simplest level, poetry is a pleasurable mechanism for creative thinking and expression that everyone can enjoy and learn, people from all backgrounds and abilities. The very process of thought and writing can be extremely profound.
“Your session last week really got me thinking about how important my eating disorder is to me and has completely changed my perspective. I am now back on track and following the treatment plan again!”
“Jason was commissioned by Gloucestershire Libraries for a National Novel Writing Month campaign in November where he delivered creative writing workshops for our library customers. The participants seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves and were inspired by the exercises Jason guided them through. Jason’s approach to facilitating was interactive and relaxed, creating a comfortable environment for participants, no matter their skill or ability. We would like to work with Jason again in future.”
“Jason, thank you for this wonderful contribution to The Rainbow Poems. I really enjoyed working with you and hope you will do more workshops - it was transformative and I don’t say that lightly - two years after my diagnosis, I’ve only now started my journey for real! :-)”
Poetry commissions & Residencies
Hire me to write an original poem to commemorate a special occasion. Poems make memorable and unique gifts and are a great way to remember people or life events by.
Is your charity or organisation looking for positive customer engagement and awareness building? Having a poet in residence is a powerful way of interpreting your values and impact on your community, staff and members. I am self motivated and directed and happy to work on research projects on specific topics that align with your brand, values or strategic marketing.
Poetry Performances
I love to share my words at poetry events, such as open mic, as a guest or feature poet, or events and festivals.
To date, I’ve performed my poetry at events in Stroud, Gloucestershire and across the South West Region, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Wiltshire, Monmouthshire, Devon and the West Midlands.
Jason in the press
© The Sentinel Newspaper
ODE TO JOY - The Sentinel, May 2022.
Children at The Crescent Academy enjoyed a visit and workshops with poet Jason Conway. They have worked hard to create poems with a neurodiversity theme. Aspects of their poems will be used as part of the 'Umbrella Project', which is to be installed in the city next month. The project features a proposed mural in the Peace Garden in Hanley (by MIND Charity HQ) and a street performance by the children underneath a canopy of multi-coloured umbrellas on Lamb Street.
Lisa Steele of Crescent Academy said "The children have really enjoyed working with Mr Conway and being able to express themselves through poetry."
MORE INFO ON THE UMBRELLA PROJECT
The Neurodiversity Umbrella Project is an uplifting visual representation of all the different minds we have here in the UK.
Every Umbrella Project installation helps to raise awareness and understanding of neurodiversity. Thousands of colourful umbrellas are strung together over public spaces, in schools, and in company buildings around the nation. Each display is designed to represent the one in five of us who have a neurodevelopmental condition, such as ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia or Tourette's syndrome. These conditions fall under the umbrella term of neurodiversity.
Jason Conway is an award-winning published poet based in Stroud, Gloucestershire in the UK, available for private and corporate poetry commissions worldwide.