Event Calendar
DateDetailsPhoto 1Photo 2
19.05.09 Othery & Middlezoy Primary Schools, at Othery, Bridgwater, Somerset
21.05.09 ‘Doing the Right Thing’ Workshop1: P.M. 9.00-12.20 St Bede’s, Lawrence Weston, Bristol
01.06.09 ‘Doing the Right Thing’ Workshop1: A.M. 10.45-12.25 Oasis Academy Bristol, Hengrove, Bristol
‘Doing the Right Thing’ Workshop1: P.M. 12.20-14.30 Bridge Learning Campus, Hartcliffe, Bristol
02.06.09 ‘Doing the Right Thing’ Workshop1: A.M. 9.00-12.00 Fairfield High, Horfield, Bristol
‘Doing the Right Thing’ Workshop1: P.M. 13.00-15.00 Brislington Enterprise College, Bristol
08.06.09 ‘Doing the Right Thing’ Workshop2 (Photo 1 - practising mic technique with marker pens): A.M. 9.00-10.45 Fairfield High , Horfield, Bristol
‘Doing the Right Thing’ Workshop2 (Photo 2 - practising mic technique with marker pens): P.M. 13.00-15.00 Brislington Enterprise College, Bristol
09.06.09 ‘Doing the Right Thing’ Workshop1: A.M. 10.40-12.40 Oasis Academy Brightstowe, Shirehampton, Bristol
‘Doing the Right Thing’ Workshop2: P.M. 13.30-15.00 Oasis Academy Bristol, Hengrove, Bristol
11.06.09

Fuse Festival Workshops:

10.00-12.00 Millfield Primary, Tamworth (Photo 1).

13.00-15.00 Chadsmead Primary, Lichfield.

18.30-20.30 Community Wkshp, Chadsmead, Lichfield (Photo 2)

12.06.09 South Wigston High School and Arts College, Leicester. Arts and Creativity Day.
15.06.09 ‘Doing the Right Thing’ Workshop2 (Photo 1 - practising mic technique with marker pens): A.M. 8.40-10.20 Oasis Academy Brightstowe, Hengrove, Bristol

‘Doing the Right Thing’ Workshop2 (Photo 2 - practising mic technique with marker pens): P.M. 12.20-13.50 Bridge Learning Campus, Hartcliffe, Bristol

16.06.09 ‘Doing the Right Thing’ Workshop2: 14.00-15.15 St Bede’s, Lawrence Weston Bristol
18.06.09

Fuse Festival Workshops:

10.00-12.00 Holly Grove Primary, Burntwood

13.00-15.00 High Fields Primary, Burntwood

24.06.09"Doing the Right Thing"
Bristol InterSchool Poetry Slam
1.30 - 3pm Wednesday 24th June 2009
Bristol Old Vic Theatre, King Street, Bristol BS1 4ED

Hosted by Glenn Carmichael & Shagufta Iqbal

This slam focused on young people being part of the solution to pertinent problems.

Year 9 pupils from six Bristol secondary schools explored ideas of how they are going to improve the world. Investigating issues such as drugs/alcohol, gangs, racism, sex/sexuality, environment, citizenship etc, focusing on positive outcomes – and showcasing poetry performances that presented their solutions in an artistic and entertaining format.

6 schools – 18 teams – 1 winner

Bridge Learning Campus
Brislington Enterprise College
Fairfield High School
Oasis Academy Brightstowe
Oasis Academy Bristol
St Bede’s Catholic College

The winning team was Fairfield's 'D All Roun' (Photo 2).

The winning school was St Bede's.

What a wicked event.

This slam was funded by The Esmée Fairburn Foundation, with assistance from Bristol Old Vic, The Poetry Can and Bristol City Council.

25.06.09

Fuse Festival Workshops:

10.00-12.00 St Michael's Primary, Lichfield

13.00-15.00 The Croft Primary, Armitage

02.07.09

Fuse Festival Workshops: Lichfield

10.00-12.00 St Peter & St Paul Catholic Primary

13.00-15.00 Willows Primary (Photo 1)

18.30-20.30 Community Wkshp, Chadsmead (Photo 2)

03.07.09

Fuse Festival Workshops: Lichfield

10.00-12.00 All Saints C of E Primary (Photos 1 & 2)

13.00-15.00 Scotch Orchard Primary

08.07.09Bristol Metropolitan College, Fishponds, Bristol
09.07.09

Fuse Festival Workshops, Lichfield:

13.00-15.00 St Peter's C of E Primary

10.07.09

Fuse Festival Workshops, Lichfield:

10.00-12.00 Chasetown Community Primary

13.00-15.00 Curborough Community Centre - a coaching session for 9 primary teams for the Fuse Festival Slam

12.07.09

Fuse Festival, Lichfield. The event in a tent. A wonderful afternoon. Teams from 9 primary schools (Photo 1) and 9 individual slammers.

Some excellent performances from the primary school teams - with costumes and face paint, hoodies and baseball caps, to enhance their poetry. The winning team was from Millfield Primary and the brave runners-up were from Hollygrove.

There were some unbelievably professional performances from the individuals, with a massive range of styles and content. Themes ran from our addiction to shopping and how justice can be bought by the rich, to rescuing the planet and trusting in God - and of course a Michael Jackson tribute got a look in!

The winner was Mikey (Photo 2), with seasoned stagecraft, he held the audience with his hip hop style, talking about the madness of young people wanting to carry blades, when so many children have been abused and died. And the charismatic runner-up was Bruford Low with his satirical poem about the increasingly popular, ridiculous 'beauty' procedures, ending his performance with the recommendation (as he turned and wiggled his posterior) that we should be who we are and just let it all 'hang out'.

 

05.09.09

Bristol Poetry Festival Slam, Arnolfini Arts Centre, Bristol
Hosted by Glenn Carmichael & Claire Williamson (photo 1)
Bristol vs The Allstars
The new wave versus old guard.
Four young Turks vs four seasoned slammers.
A fantastic night of superb slamming.

The Allstars: Steve Rooney, Alison Brumfitt, A F Harrold, Sonia Hendy-Isaac.
The Bristol team: Anna Freeman, Agatha Knowles, Malusi Banda, Jade Oldfield.

And the Allstars, seasoned professionalism meant that they walked away with the winning team trophy.

Dreadlock Alien was the guest poet.

There is not enough space to rave about the individual poets' work, but this was the kind of slam that left you laughing, but also made you think, and more than that, occasionally transported you into a rhapsodic realm. There was something for everyone - just the way a slam should be.
Bristol's Anna Freeman (photo 2) had the highest overall score and therefore won the 'best individual' award.

24.09.09 To celebrate the launch of Bristol's new Colston Hall, an exhibition slam: Bristol vs London.
A spectacular evening.
The spread of talent was awe inspiring with a wide and diverse range of some of the best spoken wordsters in Britain.
London were represented by: The Brother's Grim, Jasmine Cooray, Cynthia Hamilton, Keith Jarrett.
The Bristol team were: Lucy English, Agatha Knowles, Julian Ramsey-Wade, Byron Vincent.

It was a close run contest with some funny, some political, some heartfelt, emotional poetry and beautifully delivered performances. Overall an absolutely wonderful evening, the like of which are few and far between. Bristol won (by two points). The individual winner was the hilarious and lovely Cynthia Hamilton (pictured grinning with flowers in photo 2).
The evening was hosted by Glenn Carmichael & Claire Williamson (photo 1). The judges were Matt Harvey (Poet/columnist, Radio 4 & Guardian contributor)), Shagufta Iqbal (Poet & Radio Salaam Shalom DJ) and Colin Brown (Poet and Director of The Poetry Can) - they did a great job of being fair, firm & fun (pictured on the right of photo 1). Matt Harvey was also the best guest poet - showing us all what is possible with heaps of practice and masses of talent.
And a great audience vibe. Brilliant!

08.10.09 St Francis School, Marlborough
09.10.09 Clifton College Preparatory School, Bristol
19.10.09 Priory Community School, Weston-super-Mare
29.10.09 St Peter’s Primary, Portishead
28.10.09

Bristol University workshop and slam.

Bristol University Students' Union very first poetry slam. We didn't get any photos - which is a shame. There was an afternoon workshop where Glenn Carmichael worked with students - none of whom had ever performed before. They all wrote an original poem and rehearsed it ready for the evening event.


In the evening Byron Vincent was guest poet. Six people slammed.
The winner was Dean McCaffrey with a rap-style poem that captured the hearts of the audience.
Runner-up was Coco Creme with a wonderful comedic piece - a tale of seeing the university's librarian naked in the gym changing rooms, and subsequently never daring to lend any books and consequently failing her exams.
Overall a small but thrilling affair in the true spirit of slam - and as ever the poetry was the most important thing.

22.01.10 Priory Community School, Weston-super-Mare
29.01.10 Perrott Hill School, Somerset
10.02.10 Bruton School for Girls, Somerset
05.03.10

Weston-super-Mare InterSchool Slam

4 secondary schools: Broadoak, Priory, Worle and Wyvern. 4 teams from each school. The winning team were 'Winning Isn't Everything' from Broadoak. The runner-up team were 'The Italian Mafia' from Priory (Photo 1). And the overall winning school, for the second year running, were Broadoak (Photo 2).

Funded by Find Your Talent - North Somerset

22.03.09 Clifton College, Bristol
27.04.10 King's Hall School, Taunton
   
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