The South West Poetry Tour 1st to 7th August 2016

Growing up just ten minutes from Wincanton, I was always craving a creative community but never quite knew how to find it.

Subsequently, having lived and worked in rural areas of southwest England (predominantly Cornwall, Devon and Somerset) for most of my writing life I continued to find it a challenge to meet other poets living and working in the area.

For writers, there are no artist studios or galleries in which to congregate, discuss your work and make creative connections. Writing often happens in quiet spaces where you are on your own.

These quiet spaces, free of the noise and distraction of other bodies are often deliberately sought out by writers in order to concentrate on their creations, but this isolation can be a double-edged sword. The desire to reach out to other poets in the area, to build a social network between communities of poets and to link these communities up to form a stronger southwest poetry network is something I’ve been keen to do for a long time.

With this idea in mind I approached SJ Fowler of Enemies Project fame to see if we could bring about a collaborative poetry tour to link poets up across the region. Coming from southwest origins himself, Steve was immediately keen and lo! The South West Poetry Tour was born.

Developing upon Steven’s Enemies Project model, The South West Poetry Tour is a new poetry initiative consisting of five nights of poetic performance by poets from Cornwall (St Ives and Falmouth), Devon (Dartington) and Somerset (Bruton and Bath).

We have been fortunate enough to win funding from Arts Council England and to solicit the support of Tate St Ives, Hauser & Wirth Somerset and Schumacher College, among others, to deliver these events.

The South West Poetry Tour will involve over 60 poets connected to the region, commissioning over 50 new works during the course of the project. Due to the generosity of independent donors we are also able to offer a £50 honorarium to all poets involved to help cover any expenses incurred during the development of their work.

A key feature of the tour has been an open call in order to expand our existing networks of poets in the region. This means that, in addition to the six core touring poets JR Carpenter, John Hall, Matti Spence, Annabel Banks, Camilla Nelson and SJ Fowler, the project features a large number of both emerging and well-known poets local to each area.

Beyond producing some wonderful, energised, innovative nights of collaborative poetry, the aim of the tour is to forge creative links between poets, artists, arts organisations and audiences locally and regionally.

The South West Poetry Tour offers a platform for emerging poets, who may only just be beginning to publish and perform their work, to perform and collaborate alongside more established writers and performers, to help build creative connections between different levels of experience.

This is an initiative that not only seeks to engage a large number of poets but to expand and grow poetry audience across the region. Enemies events are always dynamic and energising experiences open to all. The power of having two people performing on stage at once is always palpable and a great way of engaging with the poetic talent local to your region.

Tour Schedule

Mon 1st Aug, 7.00pm - 9.00pm
Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden
Barnoon Hill, St Ives, Cornwall, TR26 1AD
Free with entry to the museum £6/£5 – booking essential!
Booking: http://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-st-ives or +44 (0)1736 796 226

Tues 2nd Aug, 7.30pm - 9.30pm
The Poly, 24 Church St, Falmouth, TR11 3EG
£2 entry - booking essential!
Booking: http://thepoly.org/whats-on

Weds 3rd Aug, 7.30pm - 9.30pm
Schumacher College, Old Postern, Dartington Hall, Totnes, TQ9 6EA
Free Entry - booking essential!
Booking:

Sat 6th Aug, 7.30pm - 9.30pm
Bath Royal Literary & Scientific Institute
16-18 Queen Square, Bath BA1 2HN, United Kingdom
Free Entry - booking essential!
Booking:

Sun 7th Aug, 5.00 -7.00pm
Hauser & Wirth Somerset, Dropping Lane, Bruton, BA10 0NL
Free Entry - booking essential!
Booking: www.hauserwirthsomerset.com/events

For full details of the line-up for each night please visit The Enemies Project website.

The South West Poetry Tour is curated by Camilla Nelson and SJ Fowler.

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