I am not calling this post a “review”, because I organised this series of events. It was sponsored by Wakefield Council.
We began at The Polka Hop, a real-ale pub in the centre of Wakefield, with a performance event headlined and compered by Matt Nicholson from Hull. We had ten open-mikers, including at least one person who had never done open mic spoken word, before.
I did a support slot. I have a forthcoming booking, to do a headline slot at Getting Gobby In The Lobby in September 2024, but I find that the most reliable way to get a decent slot is to organise the event, your bleedin’ self. I performed ‘Ozymandias As It Might Have Been Written By Matt Abbott’, ‘On This Occasion’, ‘Dual Forecast’, and my signature poem, ‘Dear Jared’.
Matt Nicholson then gave an outstanding performance as the headliner.
This was a spoken word performance in a public space. There was a bit of competition with loud conversation from people who clearly were not interested in our performances, but we held the space, and we did get some engagement from people who did not realise what was about to happen. We got *14* audience reaction forms. That sounds bureaucratic and soul-destroying, but it is an excellent foundation for the next funding application.
I allowed myself to think, after the first of four events, “We might be all right”.
The next event was Kate Fox’s writing workshop, at The Red Shed. Regarding the theme of Writing For Wellbeing, Matt Nicholson and I had explored the broken, masculine, insane aspects of it. It was up to Kate Fox and, on Sunday, Gaia Holmes, to bring it back to the uplifting, affirmatory aspects. Kate tried a new formula for this kind of event, by combining performance with a writing workshop. It worked extremely well. 15 audience reaction forms.
We then had an interval of 90 minutes, followed by a combined social and spoken word event at The Art House, hosted by Matt Nicholson, who also gave another performance. I recited my poem, ‘Uncoupled’, on the balcony. We eventually moved back inside, because of competition with traffic noise. It was a tranquil event in a very well-run and accessible space.
Matt Nicholson, Tim Brookes (poet and organiser of Getting Gobby In The Lobby) and I had to leave in order to have an important conference. That conference may or may not have included the consumption of a curry and some bottle of Cobra lager.
On Sunday, we re-convened at The Red Shed, for Gaia Holmes’s writing workshop. Gaia has a genius for using unusual poems as prompts, and getting people to look at writing from a sideways angle.
15 audience reaction forms, for a total of 44. We think about 70 people attended the events.
Wakefield turned up. It was a success. The number of people who attended was good. The level of engagement at all the events was excellent, and exceeded my expectations.
I already have a concept for the next grant application. What happens next depends on the economic climate.
I have a strategy for re-starting Wakefield LitFest, but this time, run by people who live in Wakefield.
iamhyperlexic 