génesis de los palos
from the beginning
we were the sky
the seed
the duende in between.
The Basics
Writing workshops vary depending on the need of the community. New workshops are intricately curated as needed. Past thematic workshops include:
Home & Belonging
Identity & Voice
Black Erasure & Memory
Transnationalism and Place
Grief and Loss
Homage Poems
Where I’m From Poems
The Structure
Past writing workshops were as short as 20 minutes and as long as 90 minutes. Typically workshops include a brief artist introduction, a performance, an icebreaker and an extended writing exercise. Depending on time allotted and need of the community, workshops can also include breakout groups or pair work, independent work, facilitation of a collaborative poem created by the participants, concluding with an open mic or sharing at the end.
Writing Workshops
Haydil began her teaching artist journey in 2011 in Bogota, Colombia, working with displaced youth of the internal Colombia war, ages 7-17. Since then she has worked with various groups, mainly focusing on middle through college-aged youth.
St. Luke School Writing Workshop | Facilitator & Performer
May 2020 | Virtual
Poetry workshop on voice and identity for 150 5th-8th graders.
Latinx Heritage Writing Workshop | Facilitator & Performer
October 2020 | St Luke School
Poetry workshop on home and belonging for 150 5th-8th graders. Produced Where I Am From poems.
Latinx Heritage Writing Workshop | Facilitator & Performer
September 2018 | St Luke School
Poetry workshop on home and belonging for over 100 7th-8th graders.
Langston Hughes House | Workshop Facilitator
JUNE 2017 | LANGSTON HUGHES HOUSE
Poetry workshop for 50 high school and college-aged young people from the Newark Public Schools District and Drew University, resulting in 3 collaborative choreopoems.
DreamYard’s Parents Arts Fair | Workshop Leader
APRIL 2015, 2016, 2017| BRONX, NY
Co-facilitated workshops to a dozen parents using pedagogical tools traditionally used in DreamYard classrooms. Served as a bridge for Spanish speaking parents.
What Creates Health? Summit | Workshop Facilitator
SEPTEMBER 2016 | HOSTOS COMMUNITY COLLEGE, BRONX, NY
Co-facilitated an all-ages workshop on transforming points of view regarding health alongside the honorable poet, Aracelis Girmay.
St. Luke School | Workshop Facilitator
MARCH 2016 | NEW YORK, NY
Featured performer and guest writing workshop leader for 7th & 8th graders on identity, memory, family and celebration.
Hudson Cliffs School PS/ IS 187 | Workshop Facilitator
JUNE 2015 | NEW YORK, NY
Featured performer and guest writing workshop leader for three cohorts of 7th graders on identity, voice and home.
Taller de Paz / Board Member & Workshop Leader
JULY-AUGUST 2011, 2012, 2013 & 2014 | BOGOTA, COLOMBIA
Oral storytelling, spoken word poetry and women’s power workshop creator and facilitator for displaced youth in Suba. Final women’s empowerment zine distributed to community members.