Theatres are a crucial part of arts and culture in the UK and beyond. The pandemic hit the theatre industry hard, and now we’re moving forward we’re introducing you to three local theatres that are giving opportunities to the talents that deserve it whilst keeping performing arts alive and kicking. Kiln Theatre – Kilburn Winner of the Best London at the Stage Awards 2021, the Kiln Theatre has made a brilliant comeback supporting creatives across the arts since restrictions have eased. The 292 seat theatre alongside a 300 seat cinema, bar, restaurant, and rehearsal spaces provide the local community with much needed creative support and opportunities that benefit the people of Brent and beyond. Kiln Theatre creates beautifully crafted work that amplifies unheard voices and directs them to the mainstream stage. Internationally recognised for high quality productions, the theatre is known for telling big stories that focus on human connections across cultures, race, and languages that have been strengthening the diversity within the performing arts sector for years. They offer free opportunities that allow creatives to express who they are and develop their skills to be the best at what they desire to do, and this is an establishment that is essential to the elevation of the hidden talent based in Brent. Theatre Peckham – Peckham Theatre Peckham is part of the Arts Council England’s National Portfolio, and we are proud to share how much they have contributed to not only the poetry community, but the arts community as a whole. Winner of the Drama and Theatre Magazine Editor’s Award in April 2021, Theatre Peckham boasts an amazing 200-seat theatre alongside studios, and thrives on showcasing new talent in addition to raising awareness about different art forms that contribute to stunning theatre productions. They have supported some of the best poetry platforms based in London that primarily focus on mental health and the development of youth. These platforms include Poetic Unity and Mind Over Matter which have both been a crutch for those that heal from expressing their truths through the pandemic until now. Theatre Peckham is an integral part of the Peckham community for those interested in pursuing the arts or discovering new ways to develop their talents. Connected to both the local and national creative community, they invite all to get involved and feed their creativity. Bush Theatre – Shepherds Bush Known for discovering and nurturing the best new playwrights from all backgrounds, Bush Theatre is one to watch for 2022. They showcase contemporary stories with wit, style, and passion that are nothing less than entertaining. Located in the heart of Shepherds Bush, the establishment has two theatre spaces in addition to their Library Bar Cafe which is approximately a ten minute walk from Shepherds Bush Station. Throughout the year, Bush Theatre offers multiple ways for artists to work with them. They have have announced a new season of productions that is nothing short of the quality productions they released before the pandemic. The theatre takes pride in giving a voice to the underrepresented whilst delivering memorable entertainment that will be appreciated for years to come. Written by: Tannika Taylor
Author Archives: wordplayflow
Exploring the Poetic Rise of Maryam
Every so often, a very special poet comes along, graces the stage and reminds us here at Wordplay of exactly why we love this. In 2021, that poet has been none other than the graceful and incredibly gifted wordsmith, Maryam. Since her emergence, Maryam has wowed audiences with spellbinding wordplay and breathtaking manipulation of the English language; captivating audiences with mesmeric storytelling and unmatched attention to detail, Maryam has quickly become one of the best poets performing on London’s poetry circuit. In less than a year, Maryam has catapulted herself from largely unknown to one of the scene’s most valued and sought after wordsmiths. Maryam combines a distinct and profoundly eloquent delivery with a masterfully complex and thought-provoking writing style to create an idiosyncratic experience like no other. What makes Maryam’s poetry so distinct and memorable isn’t only her astonishing command of the English language and poetic technique, but also her ability to construct pieces of work that transcend the quintessential composition of a modern day poem. It is bountifully clear with each individual performance and poem shared that Maryam not only wants you to hear her poetry, she wants you to feel it. With a catalogue of work that addresses and explores a plethora of pertinent topics including faith, politics, identity and injustice, Maryam has already found herself front and centre headlining poetry events across London, an expanding list that includes renowned spoken word nights like Mind Over Matter and Bring Your Own Bars Poetry, and brand new initiatives like Poetics. By meticulously interweaving layers of depth and substance into every sentence (or ‘bar’ for the poetry scene aficionados), and passionately exploring current affairs with faith-inspired poetry that is as relevant as it is enthralling, Maryam hasn’t just quietly arrived on the poetry scene, she’s effectively kicked the door wide open and announced to the entire scene: “I’m here… and this is just the beginning!” Written by: Liam Spencer
Birmingham Poets Set To Launch New Poetry Event Aiming To Empower
Birmingham based poet, author, and actor Ryan Sinclair is launching his very own spoken word event in his hometown. Empower Poetry aims to showcase the brilliant poets that Birmingham have to offer by giving them a new safe space to perform their art. Ryan was inspired to launch his new event after exploring the London poetry scene which is filled with open mic nights where poets share their truths. After featuring at various London poetry events and attracting a growing audience, Ryan has inspired more poets from Birmingham to connect with events in London. Currently there are only a few consistent poetry events running in Birmingham and Ryan wants to change the narrative of how poets from outside of the capital city are perceived and received. Alongside his Empower partner Kohinoor, Ryan and his team are determined to put Birmingham and Midland poets on the map, and we are 100% here for it. Kohinoor Yasmin is a writer and poet that has featured on Hayati Open Mic by Ort Gallery in addition to performing for virtual poetry platforms based in the United States. She found her love for writing at the age of eight drawing upon her early experiences as inspiration, and has been indulging in the craft ever since. I love reading, travelling, and cooking. I’m especially passionate about alternative education, and investing in our youth. One of my goals in life is to change the lives of those around me; one poem at a time. Kohinoor Yasmin – Poet, Photographer, and Mentor Ryan Sinclair highlights that it isn’t easy for all poets based outside of London to access the poetry events we have to offer on a weekly basis. Empower Poetry will be another step in bridging the gap between poets from Birmingham and London, and we are eager to see the new talent that the spoken word circuit has underground. I think it’s only right that I use my resources to boost the poetry community in Birmingham and help poets to get paid. Ryan Sinclair – Poet, Author, & Mentor Empower Poetry’s debut event is on the 24th November from 7pm onwards at the 7 Sins Lounge based in Digbeth. The night is set to be one to remember with feature performances from Birmingham based poets that have something to say.
World Poetry Slam Champion Shares Urgent Address at Climate Summit in Scotland
The 2015 Individual World Poetry Slam Champion, Sudanese-American poet and activist, Emtithal ‘Emi’ Mahmoud once again echoes the voices of the dispossessed at the 2021 climate summit in Scotland. The incredible ‘Emi’, whom took home the crown of World Poetry Champion in Washington, D.C., six years ago, is back with her palpably impassioned and thought-provoking style of poetry, delivering another heartfelt poetic address before world leaders at this year’s climate summit. Emtithal, herself a refugee and witness to the dire situation in Darfur (a region in western Sudan) has used her voice to call for urgent action, while concomitantly raising awareness to the efforts made by refugees to adapt to their habitats. On Monday afternoon, Emtithal took to Twitter to explain the inspiration behind the poem ‘Di Baladna’, which she wrote for the summit, citing, among other things, the village her father was born in no longer existing due to climate change and the conflict in Sudan. “I wrote this poem to open the door to our truth, the urgency & lasting change,” she wrote in the short yet apropos Twitter post, providing a straightforward and simultaneously profound summary of the urgent need to break ground and pave the way for long-lasting change. For years, the veteran poet has voiced her concerns over the plights of the dispossessed refugees she has met, determinedly bringing attention to the hardships endured by Syrian refugees in Jordan and Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh; struggles she once experienced as a child before escaping from Darfur. “How will the world end?” Emtithal expresses rhetorically. “I don’t know. And I don’t want to find out. Not in our generation, and not in the next.” To see the full video for ‘Di Baladna’ and more pertinent content from Emtithal, head over to her official Twitter page. Written by: Liam Spencer
The Creative Evolution Of Leyenda Speaks
As Black History Month draws to a close, we introduce the brilliant Leyenda Speaks to end it with the bang it needs. The 25-year-old spoken word poet and creative from South London launched his latest EP, Metamorphosis this year, and already has his eyes set on new heights. Since accepting that art and creative expression was going to be a major part of his life, Ley has become “obsessed” with documenting the journey along the way and we’ve had the pleasure of being along for the ride. Metamorphosis – ‘A change of the form or nature of a thing or person into a completely different one’. Where did it all start for you? Ley Speaks’ area of South London had a big influence on his work as he used his personal experiences and how they have shaped his mentality as a foundation for the work that he creates. Like most writers, he found his love for his craft studying English in school, but wanted to explore how he could combine words with other forms of creative arts. Music has always been a passion of his, and when asked about how he felt about fusing spoken word with music he said: I’ve always loved music, combining my poetry with music felt like a natural process to me. Ley Speaks How did your first EP ‘Spring Baby’ come to life? Released in 2020, the themes of Spring Baby are centred around new beginnings and nature. The EP encapsulates his journey up until a certain point whilst highlighting the rebirth he was experiencing in both his personal and creative life. Spring Baby descended when mother nature gave birth. Metamorphosis – Lion Cub He doesn’t hold back on confronting his emotions head on as he shares his truth on the world around him with effortless flows that you can’t help but relate to. The entire body of work is its own little world that anyone would want to take a mini escape to. Ley has mastered how to weave his interests and intellect together with ease, whilst drawing upon his ups and downs to bring you spoken word poetry in his own unique form. Working on Spring Baby allowed me to express different aspects of what I’m about. My lyricism, quirkiness, and creativity. Ley Speaks Stream Spring Baby here Tell us more about your latest project ‘Metamorphosis’? Ley openly expressed that he followed his intuition when creating this project, and once it was finished, he instantly started to think what was next. He likes to think that Metamorphosis takes you through an experience of accepting ones self and acknowledging the process of growth as an individual. Each track features raw and honest wordplay, and storytelling, yet doesn’t compromise on the beautiful sounds that come together to create something truly exceptional. Being ahead of what the body understands is one of the reasons I launched Metamorphosis when the pandemic had settled. Ley Speaks He named one of his tracks on the EP Lion Cub because there is a line from his track Equinox that features on his Spring Baby EP – ‘Birth of a dandy lion, raw determination’, which highlights how Ley meticulously ensures that his work is a true representation of his evolution over time. What would you say your favourite tracks are from your projects? Asking any artist what their favourite tracks are from their projects is always a difficult one for them to answer, and it’s no different for Ley Speaks. Having produced two brilliant projects in less than two years in addition to singles that are just as great as the collections, we got him to break them down for us: If I HAD to choose I would say that March 20th, Vincent Van Gogh, and Why Does Bad Come Fast But Leaves Slow are probably my favourites from Spring Baby. They each tell their own individual stories. It’s really hard to choose a favourite from Metamorphosis. I love Lion Cub for so many reasons. One being the Lion King references but also the references linked to my Spring Baby Ep. My second single Hearticulate is definitely one of my favourites, not only because of its lyrics, but it allowed me to explore my creativity when releasing its official video. Ley Speaks What is next for the great Ley Speaks? It shouldn’t come as a surprise that there is more on the way from our poetic genius Ley Speaks. He is currently working on another detailed project which has more soul undertones in terms of genre. I love musical poetry so I’m really excited to work with soulful-ish instrumentals, guitarists, and pianists etc. Before that I’d like to try a few other things including facilitating workshops and releasing more visuals. Ley Speaks We know first hand that Leyenda has so much more to come regarding musical spoken word, but until then you can stream both Spring Baby and Metamorphosis on Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, and various other streaming platforms.
Five Poetry Competitions You Should Know About!
Here is a list of five poetry competitions you can enter now to win great cash prizes and the chance to have your poetry published: 1. Anthology Poetry Award 2021: Entries are now open for the Anthology Poetry Award, but be quick because the deadline is fast approaching. Poets have until the 31st October to submit a poem of no more than 40 lines on the theme of ‘Freedom’. The competition is open to all nationalities regardless of where participants are living in the world and there is a small fee of €15 to enter. There is no limit to entries per person. With a €500 cash prize for the winner and potential publication in a future issue of Anthology up for grabs, what are you waiting for? 2. National Poetry Competition 2021: Another competition with its deadline fast approaching is the 2021 National Poetry Competition. Entrants have until the 31st October to submit a previously unpublished piece of poetry of up to 40 lines on a subject of their choice. The competition is open to anyone over the age of 18, including international participants. It costs just £7 to enter and £4 thereafter for any subsequent entries for those that wish to submit more than one piece. And the best part of all, there is £5,000 cash prize up for grabs for the winner of this illustrious award. 3. Gregory O’Donoghue International Poetry Competition 2021: This competition is for original, unpublished and not previously broadcast poetry. Participants can enter poetry on a subject of their choosing for as little as €7 or opt to enter five poems to increase their chances of winning for just €30. The 1st prize winner will receive €2,000 and the opportunity to perform at Cork International Poetry Festival 2022. Additionally, all winning entries will be published in the Southword Literary Journal. For this one, you still have a lot of time to prepare, as the deadline for the Gregory O’Donoghue International Poetry Competition is November 30, but don’t leave it too late! The sooner you start, the more time you’ll have to perfect that spellbinding piece of poetry! 4. Cafe Writers Open Poetry Competition 2021: This wonderful competition is open to all poets for an entry fee of just £4 for a single poem or £10 for three. Poems can be up to 40 lines long and, like all of the aforementioned competitions, must be written in English. There is a cash prize of £1,000 up for grabs for the winner, with second prize taking home £300 and third place £100. There is also concessionary entry available to low-income writers. The deadline for this competition is also November 30. 5. The Moth Poetry Prize 2021: To round off this list is The Moth Poetry Prize 2021 competition, which is one of the biggest prizes in world poetry for unpublished work. The competition is open to anyone over the age of 16 with a fee of €15 for a single entry. Unlike some of the other competitions previously mentioned, there is only one entry per poet. But don’t let that deter you! There is a €6,000 cash prize available to the winner with three runner-up prizes of €1,000. So, make it into the top four and you’re guaranteed a nice sum for your efforts and contribution. The deadline for this one is December 31. So, there you have it. A list of five poetry competitions you can enter now and be in with a chance of winning some great cash prizes. For more information on each competition, please visit the respective websites. Written by: Liam Spencer
Caleb Femi Among Forward Prizes Winners 2021
It’s been a great year for arts and culture as we recover from the pandemic, and it’s been an even better year for poet Caleb Femi as he wins Best First Collection for his poetry publication, Poor. The 28 year-old poet, film-maker, and photographer from London has been praised for his debut poetry collection by the likes of Michaela Coel that draws upon his personal experiences over time living on North Peckham estate. One of these experiences include recollecting the tragic murder of 10 year-old Damilola Taylor in 2000. Poor draws upon some of the dark themes that we rarely see in the world of written poetry. His work provides a visualisation of the raw reality of what it’s like living in a working-class area that has long needed nurturing and investment. Luke Kennard won ‘Best Collection’ with Notes on the Sonnets; a collection of responses to Shakespeare’s sonnets, and Nicole Sealey won ‘Best Single Poem’ for ‘Pages 22-29, An excerpt from the Ferguson Report: An Erasure’. All three winners received mass praises for their work by the judges, the poetry community, and across social media. The Forward Arts Foundation is a charity organisation dedicated to promoting poetry in the UK and Ireland. Their programmes allow people to enjoy the art of poetry whilst supporting the talented writers behind the words. The organisation is also responsible for National Poetry Day, an annual celebration that brings together poets, publishers, booksellers, and organisations of all kinds to embrace the art of poetry in different forms. Find out more about this years winners here.
The Vortex Has Reopened!
Hold onto your seats and get ready to be blown away because on the 31st October, FLO Vortex makes its long-awaited return! Hosted by the multi-platinum, award-winning singer, songwriter and poet, Natalie “The Floacist” Stewart, FLO Vortex became an instant success following its inception in 2014. Since then, the Vortex has welcomed poets, rappers and singers from all over the world with artists from America, Canada and Africa joining members of the UK’s increasingly popular poetry scene to take to the stage and wow audiences with mind-bending wordplay, captivating storytelling and hypnotising lyricism. Now, after a lengthy hiatus due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, for the first time since early 2020, England’s leading spoken word event reopens its doors to the public when Breakin’ Convention presents Let’s Do Leadenhall (an initiative designed to provide free cultural events around London). The rules are simple: at the start of the night, FLO Vortex founder Natalie Stewart will open the Vortex. From there, each poet has 3-5 minutes to share a piece of their choosing. There are no introductions. When the Vortex is opened, it is upon the selected poets on that night to choose when they wish to enter. They state their name, they recite their piece, and they state their name again. It’s that simple. This is the unique and incredibly exciting formula that has helped FLO Vortex become the most exhilarating night in poetry. And that’s not all! If you really can’t wait for the 31st, you can whet your appetite on the 20th October when FLO Vortex in collaboration with Blackbird brings you FLO Vortex: CIPHERS live on Twitter. 20 incredible poets from all over the world enter the Vortex and FLO! For more information on the highly anticipated return of the FLO Vortex at Leadenhall Market, head over to the official Breakin’ Convention website. Written by: Liam Spencer
How Lashana Lynch Is Making History as the First Ever Female 007
There’s a new 007 in town and she’s exactly what the franchise needed. After decades of daring escapades, high-speed chases, action-packed blockbuster sequences, and intense showdowns reserved for the man they call Bond… James Bond, the 007 franchise finally has a female lead that is more than just the MI5 agent’s love interest. Lashana Lynch, known for her role in Captain Marvel as the fiery Mariah Rambeau, etched her name in history when she was cast to star alongside Daniel Craig in the latest film from the seemingly never-ending James Bond series, No Time to Die. Consequently, Lynch has singularly and eternally altered our perception of what it means to be a female lead in the ever-popular Bond franchise, placing its tiresomely stereotypical (and often objectionable) presentation of women firmly beneath her feet, while ushering in a long awaited and, quite frankly, much needed change for the franchise which, for so long, has relied far too heavily on its “Bond girl” dynamic for its lead female. Lynch’s turn as Nomi in No Time to Die may not be what the Bond faithful had in mind for the next 007, but it is most certainly what the franchise itself needed: diversification. And while some have criticised the decision to cast Lynch, with claims her introduction is nothing more than a box ticking exercise dressed as the pursuit of progressive representation, the truth is, Lashana Lynch’s arrival in No Time Die has injected new life into the 007 franchise, paved the way for more diverse casting in the future, and created an opening for far more culturally inclusive roles. You may or may not like Lynch’s appointment as the only other 007 in history, but there is no denying that the casting of the 33-year-old, Jamaican, from Hammersmith, London, has changed the landscape of James Bond… forever. Written by: Liam Spencer
Woodzy’s Poetic Journey From The Stage To Wembley Arena
From Sky Arts to Sky Sports, Woodzy [@WoodzyTweets] is showing how poetry and culture come together.