Meet the Founder

Hi, I'm Zena Edwards, founder and creative director of Nature Persists, Poetry & Creativity For Urban Well-Being.

Nature Persists came into being as a response to a 30 year long writing practice of writing from the body of understanding humans as part of the ecolology of the planet.

The foundational principles of the transformative power of the natural world in urban environments is a keen interest of mine, and my ablility to curate and facilitate workshop programs stems for work with a myiad of people across all backgrounds and ages.

Zena Edwards Biography

After graduating from Middlesex University and studying storytelling and performance at The London International School for Performing Arts,  Zena has been a professional writer/performance poet, curator and  creative project developer for over 30 years.

She is known as a renowned award winning UK based poet of Afri-Carib-British heritage, however, she is also a multidisciplinary artist, at home with collaborating with musicians, choreographers, environmental growers and visual artists.

A curator and producer of independent live and online events, Zena advocates climate and environmental awareness, equity and regeneration. Zena’s writing and performance pedagogy is rooted in identifying the connection to our humanness, the imagination and the Earth. Herr mentorship practice focuses on professional artist development that amplifies personal sovereignty and empowers collective well-being using creativity.

www.zenaedwards.com

  • Resurgence & Ecologist Commission
    Delivered a poem for August/September Issue of The Resurgence and Ecologist Journal

  • Resurgence Festival of Well Being Talk
     was an invited guest to give a talk on ‘Nature Persists’ as a concept

  • Arvon at Home Series 2023 - Eco-Poetry Masterclass From The Pastoral To Dystopia And Back Again

  • "Mosi’s Mothers" - a Poem included in Wilder Journeys - Environmental writer Laurie King and internationally bestselling author Miriam Lancewood a collection of narrative non-fiction stories and poems on the human connection with nature. Watkins Publishing

  • Culture: The Missing Link - Julie's Bicycle Conference and Discussion Seminar at COP26 2022 as poet in residence

  • Collaborator with May Project Gardens 2016 - 2018: an award-winning, London-based grassroots organisation who value of our relationship to the earths wisdom. They provide practical, affordable, and collective solutions for people to live sustainably nature, food and creative arts.

  • Hot Poets - Commissioned poem Mothers of the Forest - Paired with and now patron for the charity Word Forest and Tracy and Simon West to acclimatise themselves to the field of funding for environmental work to support tree nurseries and tree planting and for the education and entrepreneurship of women and girls in Kenya. 

  • Judging panelist for the the Tune Into Nature Music 2021 originated by Professor Miles Richardson from the Nature Connectedness Research Group at the University of Derby and supported by Selfridges, Tileyard London and Yorkshire Sculpture Park.​

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  • Artistic Director for Apples and Snakes Poetry Organisation Music and Spoken Word Show Cece’s Speakeasy 2021.

  • Lead artist for the launch procession in London for the Culture Declares Emergency with artistic direction by Ackroyd & Harvey, Lucy Neal 2019

  • Colour Green Podcast - The Colour Green is a new podcast from Julie’s Bicycle exploring the links between climate change, race, nature and social justice from the perspectives of people of colour in the UK.

  • “Building an Inclusive Movement” - Keynote Speech for Arts Admin and Julies Bicycle ‘Season for Ex-change’ An 8-week programme in April – June 2021 of free online events for artists, arts organisations, cultural practitioners, producers, curators and anyone who wants to learn about, share knowledge or get ideas and inspiration on embedding climate action and climate justice in their artistic and creative work.

  • Culture Declares Emergency - Guest speaker - The Offer:Reimagining the City 2 2020 - an online cultural response to the climate and ecological emergency.

  • Director of Climate of Fear for the Flying Solo Festival 2017 with Contact Young Creatives 2017

  • Weather Fronts Realistic Utopias - A collection of poems and stories by writers responding personally and creatively to the scientific and emotional realities of climate change - Cambria Books, Llandeilo, Wales, United Kingdom

MY PURPOSE

My purpose is to be a poet who creates projects that are accessible, inspirational and groundbreaking.

I have endeavoured to do this work since I was aware I could facilitate learning since 2007. You can see more of my facilitation work here.