Learning to Swim: Poetry the deep end of Education | Christian Foley | TEDxYouth@StGeorgesEdinburgh

So what to do? In this TEDx talk, Christian Foley, Spoken Word Educator, proposes that
poetry has a part to play. Christian Foley makes it up as he goes along. His improvised, interactive rap performances have taken him from the school classroom to Oprah's Television Networks and PMQ's at
Westminster, from the festival circuit to the Premier League.
Christian is a writer, rapper and a teacher - all at once. His work has drawn effusive praise from stars like 50 Cent, John Legend and creator of Hamilton, Lin Manuel Miranda.
Christian studies a PhD in ‘Hip Hop Education’ at Goldsmiths University and is an expert on incorporating rap into the process of learning.
Outside of the classroom, in the field of music, Christian has released two albums. Christian has written two ‘Hip-Hop picture books’ for Early Years students. Christian has also published Moving Up (Scholastic, 2024). Christian’s next book Barney’s Rock (Flying Eye, 2025) focuses on the healing and transformative power of music, for children in turbulent times. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx