A warm and cosy welcome back to the first Jawdance of 2025. We’re bringing you a special BIG LOVE themed night that will see two poetic teams go head to head to win your hearts. Co-hosts Yomi Sode and Kat Francois present their current poet crushes to woo and inspire you with some familiar faces and fresh talent from the spoken word scene.
Who will win on the night? Team Yomi or Team Kat? Only you can decide!
Our usual lucky dip will be available on the night for your chance to take the open mic. Jawdance is a supportive environment and we encourage a safe space to share your work. We’re also thrilled to welcome back Denthetech, who’ll bring the tunes for February.
Presenting the Teams:
Throughout the night we’ll be checking in which team you are feeling the biggest love for! Looking at the line-up, it’s going to be tight for sure!
Team Kat:
Kat Francois
Kat François is a Performance and Movement based Artist, Writer and Educator, Writing and Performance Coach and BBC TV and World Poetry Slam Champion.
Kat François has written and performed two solo plays and three solo comedy shows. She recently won a short story competition, and her piece, INDIGO WATERS, is featured in HIDDEN REALMS, SHORT STORIES, published by Flame Tree Publishing.
RAISING LAZARUS, her play about Caribbean soldiers in the First World War, has also just been published (TSL Publications.)
Broken Pen
Brokenpen is a multi abled artist hailing from Angola, Africa living south east london. Pen as he is referred to by his peers has been performing since 2017 but writing since the age of 18, he now considers himself a wordsmith of sorts, and airbender of kinds and an all round lyricist.
Insta
Y.A POET
Yasmin Ali (Y.A) is committed to creating and performing work that challenges the issue of underestimating talent from underrepresented communities.
As a British Bangladeshi lyricist, her expression of self through her art, challenges so many misconceptions, cultural stereotypes and stigmas.
Insta
El Crisis
El Crisis’ work creates a hybrid of rap, gospel, and urban style. He has performed in London and New York including at the Nuyorican Poets’ Cafe.
Insta
Team Yomi:
Yomi SOde
Yomi Ṣode is an award-winning Nigerian British writer. He is a recipient of the 2019 Jerwood Compton Poetry Fellowship, shortlisted for The Brunel International African Poetry Prize 2021, and Arts Foundation Awards 2024.
In 2021, his play, and breathe… premiered at the Almeida Theatre to rave reviews. Yomi is a Complete Works alumnus and a member of Malika’s Poetry Kitchen. He is the founder of BoxedIn, First Five, The Daddy Diaries, and mentorship programme, 12 in 12. Yomi’s debut collection, Manorism was shortlisted for the T.S Eliot Prize 2022, The Rathbones Folio Prize 2023, and was adapted for stage at the Southbank Centre.
Miss Yankey
British/Ghanaian Writer, Activist, and Spoken Word artist Miss Yankey has captivated audiences from London to Paris, to New York, to Accra, and as far as Melbourne becoming a X6 Slam Champion along the way. Her energy is unmistakable, every word she spills is carefully crafted, performed with passion, and loaded with authenticity.
Insta I X
Kareem Parkins Brown
Kareem Parkins-Brown is a writer and visual artist from Grahame Park Estate, NW9. His work concerns hood surrealism and grief. He was almost Young Poet Laureate for London, was shortlisted for the Jerwood Compton Poetry Fellowship and won the Roundhouse Poetry Slam.
Insta
BREIS
BREIS (pronounced breeze) is a dynamic rap artist of Nigerian heritage based in South London. As a respected purveyor of lyricism, BREIS’ smooth flow is full of witty lyrics, peppered with wordplay, humour and substance. He’s a remarkable live performer who has performed worldwide with his fusion of Hip Hop, Jazz and Afrobeat rhythms.
Insta I X