Hunting in the Undergrowth: Oakley Flanagan
I came across a piece of social-history by mistake. I’d been researching the history of Battersea for Apples and Snakes’ show Rallying Cry when I discovered that Battersea Park used to be a notorious cruising ground for gay men & even as late as the 90s there were clashes with the queer community & the…
The Shanachie: Oakley Flanagan
Picking up where my grand-mother left off Protest as we know it seems to be a vital & a necessary endeavour in the times in which we live for people to see they are not alone, further debate & instigate change. There is however something seemingly impervious about the singular vision it must require to…
Accessibility and Awareness: Pete Hunter
Pete Hunter, Apples and Snakes’ South East Producer, shares advice to help ensure your spoken word night is inclusive and accessible. Spoken word is, or should be, for everyone. Whether an organiser or a performer, you have the responsibility of taking appropriate steps to make sure that the event is as accessible to as many…
The Power of Music: Aoife Mannix
‘The Walking Shadows’ is the first libretto I’ve ever written. It was performed at St Martin in the Fields on October 30th 2018 alongside Mozart’s Requiem, one of my favourite pieces of music. It was composed byStephen McNeff to mark the hundredth anniversary of the First World War. ‘For me, the sound of the words…
It’s All in the Blend : Gina Sherman
5 poets to know…… (Well, actually 10) I’ve curated a list of 5 performance poetry shows (from within the last 5 years!) that blend with other art forms wonderfully well. The influence of other art forms on performance poetry is vast and diverse and mouth-wateringly rich, so picking 5 that combine art forms really well was…
Kenny Baraka: Lessons Learnt with the Young Makers
Lessons Learnt with the Young Makers Writer, performer, and facilitator Kenny Baraka looks back on our recent project with Young Makers’ Agency in Downham, Lewisham. Throughout this year-long project, Funded by Phoenix Housing, Kenny helped develop a group of aspiring lyricists and MCs. While doing the quarterly “spring” cleaning of my laptop (you know: sifting…
Nicky Crabb: When did it become curriculum versus creativity, rather than a creative curriculum?
Senior Producer, Nicky Crabb, discusses the importance, and struggle, of keeping creativity in our schools as pressures on exam results forever increase… When did it become curriculum versus creativity, rather than a creative curriculum? Apples and Snakes’ patron and former Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen recently wrote in one of his brilliant blogs: ‘our school…
Poems from SPINE 2018: Erin Bolens
As part of SPINE Festival 2018 I led workshops in nine libraries across London with children aged seven to eleven. We explored the themes of ‘home’ and ‘belonging’ in these sessions. In each session we looked at what ‘home’ means, where and when you can feel at home and our sensory responses to the concept….
Hansika Jethani: Reflections on Rallying Cry
In October 2018, Apples and Snakes took over Battersea Arts Centre, bringing together an incredible group of established and emerging artists for Rallying Cry, an immersive spoken word show directed by Rob Watt. We’re extremely grateful to theErnest Hecht Charitable Foundation for supporting the project and enabling us to present the Ernest Hecht Award for…
Spoken Word: An Education
I have been a Spoken Word Educator for three years. Each year has been different, any teacher will profess that no two years are the same. In my first year working in schools it was a concern that my voice as a poet would be compromised as I adapted to teaching in mainstream education. But…
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