We are proud to finally announce that we will be hosting our first awards show dedicated to poetry and musical spoken word in collaboration with the Wandsworth Arts Fringe Festival this Summer. The Wordplay Awards will recognise the amazing talent that has emerged from the underground poetry circuit with a wonderful line-up of spoken word poets doing what they do best. All roads lead to The Bedford on the 19th June for a night of celebration and good vibes. Last month we made a call out to all poets and musical spoken word artists for submissions that allowed us to shortlist our nominees for this special event. Not only were we blown away by the amount of poets that got involved, but we were inspired by the level of quality and wordplay delivered in different ways. We have selected our nominees for the following categories: Best Female Spoken Word Poet 2022 Best Male Spoken Word Poet 2022 Best Spoken Word Newcomer 2022 Best Spoken Word Performance 2022 Best Musical Spoken Word Project 2022 Best Poem 2022 Nominees will be announced on our website and across our social media accounts on Monday 9th May when voting opens, and you decide who takes home the award for each category on the night. Our collaboration with Wandsworth Arts Fringe Festival has given us a platform to spread our wordplay and flows to a whole new audience which we can educate and inspire with our art. We look forward to coming together and making this evening one to remember. Tickets are limited and are now live on the Wandsworth Arts Fringe Festival website here.
Tag Archives: Festival
Word Up & The RPO Create Magic In Wembley Park At Wemba’s Dream Festival
Last week, hundreds of shoppers at the London Designer Outlet based next to Wembley Stadium enjoyed the poetry showcase developed by Word Up and local poets from Brent, alongside the magnificent Royal Philharmonic Orchestra as part of the Wemba’s Dream festival. The fifteen minute poetry performance that featured at the festival took you through a journey of surreal, nightmares, and aspiration – themes that have run through many lives since the pandemic started, and continues to impact the locals of Brent and beyond. Performers included the founders of Word Up, Charlie, Desiree, and Hannah who were supported by poets Tannika Taylor, Sharmay MItchell, and Rakaya Esime Fetuga. The spectacular display of classical sound against the powerful words spoken captivated audiences over four separate performances that were nothing short of exceptional. Other amazing acts that featured at the festival included FUBUNATION, a brent based dance company and Brent Youth Theatre who collaborated with Mahogany Carnival Arts and All Angels Steel Pan Band. Both produced stunning displays of the arts that originated in the borough of Brent alongside the spectacular musicians that make up the Royal Philarmonic Orchestra who complimented each performance with the classical sounds including the cello and flute. To catch a full recap of all performances that took place on the day visit the RPO website here. Word Up have been a Brent based poetry organisation that has provided safe spaces for poets to express both online and through live events. Their Words Down writing workshops encourage people to connect through their words which in turn can aid mental health. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra has worked with over 9000 young people in Brent over the last 15 years, and will soon be making Wembley Park their new home. For all those interested in experiencing classical music in unique ways, this is the perfect organisation to get in touch with whether it is just to be entertained, or to explore your hidden talents.