Posted By: Laura Stimson, 26 August 2011
In an exciting project with BBC Radio 3’s The Verb, Writers’ Centre Norwich is working with two spoken word performers from our region, supporting them to produce a new piece for the show.
BBC Radio 3’s acclaimed weekly cabaret of the word The Verb is presented by poet Ian McMillan and features the best and most innovative offerings from the world of words.
There are three regions involved in the project; the North East, managed by Stockton Arts Centre (ARC), the West Midlands, managed by Midland’s Arts Centre (MAC) and the East, managed by Writers’ Centre Norwich and Norwich Arts Centre.
The artists chosen from the East are Deborah Stevenson from Ilford and John Osborne from Norwich. Between April and September Deborah and John are working with a mentor to develop a short performance piece for a live performance on The Verb.
Both artists have chosen local sites as their inspiration point. John is tracing the train journey from Norwich to seaside town Sheringham, to create an interactive audio piece that explores the idiosyncrasy and etiquette of train travel; unravelling stories about toasters and Christmas stockings and tractors. Deborah’s journey takes us south, to Ilford, the town where she grew up. Here, a particular, unsettling event forms the framework for a poem that gives voice to the sounds, smells and characters inhabiting this neighbourhood.
On Tuesday 11th October, Deborah and John will perform their work alongside other guests in a show presented by The Verb’s Ian McMillan, which is being held at Norwich Arts Centre. Come and see the show for free.
Some more about the artists and their mentors:
Dyslexic Deborah Debris Stevenson was followed by Channel four, hosted a festival in front of thousands, performed alongside the likes of John Agard and has been published in a bespoke book by Louis Vuitton with illustrations by Chris Ofili. She currently runs her own young poets collective called The Mouthy Poets: inspired by passion to empower young people through poetic creativity and practice. Currently in the top 5% in her class at The University of Nottingham, Debris stands for the things creative writing can achieve and conquer. A stance that is echoed in her students, 'if only the year 9s could meet people like Debris, then they'd all love English!'.
About Deborah's Mentor: Ross Sutherland was born in Edinburgh in 1979. He was included in The Times’s list of Top Ten Literary Stars of 2008. His debut poetry collection, Things To Do Before You Leave Town, is published by Penned In The Margins. Ross is also a member of the poetry collective Aisle16 with whom he runs Homework, an evening of literary miscellany in East London.
John Osborne is a writer and poet based in Norwich. His first book,
Radio Head, was published by Simon&Schuster in 2009 and broadcast as Radio 4's Book of the Week. His second,
The Newsagent's Window was published in 2010. He is a member of poetry collective Aisle16, and performed at festivals including Latitude, Glastonbury, Port Eliot and the Edinburgh fringe. He has had poetry published in
The Guardian, The Spectator and The Big Issue, and his first pamphlet,
What if men burst in wearing balaclavas? was published in 2010 by Nasty Little Press.
About John's Mentor: Abigail Conway graduated from Goldsmiths University in 2006 where she studied Drama and Theatre Arts. Since then she has led the development of the Home Sweet Home live art project by bringing it into different contexts including schools. She has devised, produced, and directed, spectator led performance at the Shunt Vault venue and been involved in producing youth theatre through the Battersea Arts Centre. In 2007 she put on a live art installation at the Toilet Gallery, Kingston in collaboration with Martin Delaney, the VJ. Abigail currently works as an Assistant Producer for The Battersea Arts Centre. Abigail's other ongoing projects include the development of an online interactive website
ilovepix.com.
