Dr Simon Poole
Associate Professor
Biography
I'm an ardent advocate and scholar, with a deep-rooted passion for cultural education. My journey as a folklorist involves delving into all sorts of folk and creative practices, from gardening to poetry; from storytelling to singing, all the while seeking to unravel their profound connections to education and creativity. As a folklorist, I have explored these different yet interconnected, fascinating and rich traditions primarily through arts-based practices as research, as a means of recognizing their pivotal roles in our cultural heritage. For me, these practices are not just pastimes but critical and valuable types of meaning-making that underpin much of what we understand of education and community-building to be. More recently, I have been particularly interested in how gardening, as a creative practice, moves far beyond simply cultivating plants; it nurtures creativity and fosters connections with the natural world. I aim to introduce young minds to gardening as a creative practice, the wonders of nature, and emphasize the therapeutic benefits of tending to living beings. I don't think of music and song a great deal differently. I've heard folk music being described as being carried on the wings of tradition, serving as a universal language that transcends cultural boundaries. I can appreciate this, but for me, it is also personal, it is natural, and connects us to something in the same way that gardening does. I'm dedicated to using these mediums as a means of education and cultural preservation, bridging generations and promoting a sense of shared identity. In my advocacy, I champion the idea that these folk practices can contribute significantly to educational settings. The concept of 'growing for wellbeing' is at the core of my mission, emphasizing the importance of our connection with nature and the arts in fostering emotional and spiritual literacy and positive mental health among learners. Mintopia, my plant nursery, is a National Plant Collection for the mint family that does just that; it focuses on the potential of working with plants within education. It is a testament to the therapeutic and educational value inherent in the botanical world, and a singular duty we all have in maintaining biodiversity. In my work, I aim to harmonize the cultural significance of gardening and creativity with the realm of education, fostering a deeper understanding of our cultural roots and the importance of nature and art in learning. This journey is driven by a passion for positive change: Sow the seeds of knowledge, creativity, and wellbeing.
Teaching and Supervision
While I am a co-director of, and researcher for, the Centre for Research into Education, Creativity and Arts through Practice (RECAP) in the School of Education, I love teaching about and for creativity! I was the Programme Leader for the MA Creative Practices in Education (MA CPiE) for several years and have taught across multiple post-Graduate programmes, I currently supervise several doctoral students across the university, and lead the Creative Practices module on the EdDoc programme within the school of education.
Research and Knowledge Exchange
My research interests may at first glance seem broad, or disconnected, but actually as a creative producer and entrepreneur, my enterprise and professional activity advances research that is interested in the use and understanding of creativity, creative learning, pedagogy and creative practice as part of our lives, and intrinsic to our wellbeing. I instigate such enterprise through connections between education, and the health and social care sectors; the arts and culture sectors; and crucially within the horticultural sector. These connections collaboratively place creativity, creative practice, pedagogy and learning as a key part of working for these sectors. For me, this creativity occurs within the sphere of cultural education, and particularly through engagement with creative practices such as gardening.