Ella has taught workshops and masterclasses for a wide range of organisations including: The Guardian, the Arvon Foundation, Kew Gardens, The Poetry Society, The Poetry School, Outspoken, Spread the Word, Artfulscribe, Tate Gallery, and the Southbank Centre, among others.

Ella was an associate lecturer at Goldsmiths University, and has taught creative writing and poetry at City Lit.

Schools

Ella is the First Story Poet in Residence at Langdon Park School in Poplar working with Year 9s, 10s, and 11s.
She has read and taught in schools including Haberdashers’ Aske, Channing School for Girls, Putney High School, Harris Academy, Bedales, Winchester College, St Swithun’s, Truro College, Poole School, Norwich School, Orminston Victory Academy, North Walsham High School, Wherry School, Dereham Neatherd High School, Northgate High School.

Ella has also worked with charity, Wild, running workshops for young parents, including mentoring a group of young mums in Falmouth for an audio/poetry project for BBC New Creatives.

Upcoming

January 2026

• 12-17th January – Arvon Residential course with Martina Evans
• 20th January – Exeter University
• 31st January – reading in Stroud

February 2026

• 9th February Cafe Writers online reading
• 10th February Valentines special workshop with Page of Wands, Lala Books

March 2026

• 3rd March Small Press takeover reading, Senate House
• 14th March – Creative Body Process, Totnes
• 21st March – Poetry Workshop at Maison Fifth
• 29th March – reading from Shine, Darling at Present Tense

April 2026

• 12th April – Sound: Plymouth Poetry Festival workshop and reading
• 25th April – talk in Darlington

May 2026

• Poetry Fellow at UEA
• 15th May – Workshop with Sheena Patel Charleston Literary Festival

June 2026

• 18th June Exeter university
• 23rd-30th June Struga Poetry Evenings, Macedonia

1-2-1 sessions/mentorship/manuscript assessments

I have a few slots available each year for 1-2-1 sessions online, looking at poetry or other creative writing.

This is for poets at any stage looking for focussed feedback or mentorship, or artists from other disciplines who would like to bring poetry/writing/text into their practice.

These can be one-off sessions, or a few sessions spread out in which we’d work towards a goal (exhibition, pamphlet, collection, publication etc.)

Previous mentees have gone on to publish collections, pamphlets, win poetry competitions, and put on award winning exhibitions & events.

I have taught for The Guardian, The Poetry Society, The Poetry School, City Lit, as an Associate Lecturer at Goldsmiths University, as a Guest Lecturer at Falmouth University and many more.

For rates and availability please email me (ellafrears [at] hotmail[dot]com). Limited spaces available. It’s helpful to include a short sample of work in your email if you can.

I also run a weekly 1 hour online workshop for a small group of artists and writers called‘Seasonal Frears.’ These are eight week terms, Friday mornings 8-9am or 9.30am-10.30am and are generative, relaxed and a fun and productive way to start your day – all levels of writing experience welcome. Terms are 6 weeks long and groups are limited to 10 students. If you’re interested in joining for a term email me (ellafrears[at]hotmail[dot]com).

Archive

FAREWELL SATURN – CASSINI’S FUNERAL 

Sept 15th 2017, Bold Tendencies, Peckham 

photos by Cat Goryn 

After nearly twenty years in space and countless discoveries made, on the 15th September 2017 the Cassini Spacecraft was sent the command to plunge into Saturn’s atmosphere — destroying it completely and resulting in a fiery end to the mission. 

Funded by the Arts Council England and in partnership with writing agency Spread the Word, Ella Frears was Poet in Residence at Royal Holloway University responding to the final months of the mission; working towards elegy and asking what the death of a machine one billion kilometres away might mean to us. 

The ‘Space Funeral’ was curated by Ella Frears, hosted by writer/performer Stuart Silver. 

Featuring poetry written during the residency as well as newly commissioned works by:

Composer, Rufus Isabel Elliot

Architect/Designer, Emma-Kate Matthews

Filmmaker, Louis Rizzo-Naudi 

Memorial temporary tattoos were designed by Ben Jones