Word’s A Stage 2024 is Apples and Snakes’ poetic performance development programme aimed at poets aged 21-30. The aim is to bring together emerging talent from this younger demographic to give them the skills and confidence to move forward in their writing and poetry careers.
Over the course of eight online workshops participants will work with various poets, performers and facilitators, to create strong 15-minute performance sets. Check back on this page shortly as we will be releasing these tutors very soon.
Following these sessions, participants will attend a five-day writing and performance residential hosted by Arvon. All sessions must be attended (as best you can!) as it is important to keep the flow and momentum going. The Arvon retreat is fully funded by Apples and Snakes, and travel will also be arranged for you.
Online sessions dates
You must be able to attend the following online sessions – these will be held via Zoom between 7pm-9:30pm:
10th June
17th June
24th June
1st July
8th July
15th July
22nd July
29th July
Arvon Residential
The dates for the residential will be 19th – 24th August 2024 and will be at The Hurst, Arvon house.
The Hurst is a place you can write, far away from daily distractions. The house and gardens, surrounded by the forest-covered Shropshire Hills, were the former home of playwright John Osborne.
There’s lots of information and images for you to read more about this Arvon location on their website.
Please note that Arvon can be an intense process and we don’t have a wellbeing professional on site. Please consider your own selfcare/wellbeing prior to applying.
Tutors for the Arvon Residential:
Yomi Sode
Yomi Ṣode is an award-winning Nigerian British writer. He is a recipient of the 2019 Jerwood Compton Poetry Fellowship and was shortlisted for The Brunel International African Poetry Prize 2021.
His acclaimed one-man show COAT toured nationally to sold-out audiences, including at the Brighton Festival, Roundhouse Camden and the Battersea Arts Centre. In 2020 his libretto Remnants, written in collaboration with award-winning composer James B. Wilson and performed with Chineke! Orchestra premiered on BBC Radio 3.
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 will be published via Penguin Press in 2022
Deanna Roger
Deanna won the UK Poetry Slam at age 18. Since then she has pushed down closed doors and held them open for others, curating spoken word events, facilitating workshops, writing prolific commissions, and mentoring. Most recently, her reimagined version of ‘If’ was read by Serena Williams.
As a poet she has worked in countries across five continents and has been commissioned by numerous brands and organisations including; FIFA, St Paul’s Cathedral, Nationwide, Keats’ House Museum, Young Vic, Adidas, and BBC. She designs and delivers educational programs, and tutors at the School of Communication Arts.
She has two publications. I Did It Too celebrating a decade of work, (Burning Eye Books). and his fingers have left a process and poetry collection of five form poems responding to Kevin Elyot’s archive in the Bristol University’s Theatre Collection (also Burning Eye Books).
Access information for The Hurst
PHYSICAL ACCESS: The Hurst is the only house that is fully accessible to wheelchair users. There is access to every room via a lift. All communal spaces, including workshop spaces, have level access. There are no steps on the ground floor. All door frames measure the required 825mm, although the fire doors installed reduce this width slightly. All door handles are at an accessible height, with power sockets located at 500mm from the floor. There is an accessible toilet on the ground floor.
If you have access needs or general questions and concerns, please email [email protected] or call 0204 529 4970.
How to Apply
Please submit your application form by 5pm Friday 24th May. We will be in touch if you are successful by 6pm 3rd June.
As part of our commitment against ableism, if your application is successful then please let us know if you have any access requirements and we will do this again, in more detail prior to the Arvon Residential.
Photo credit: Suzi Corker