On The Side

Apples and Snakes has commissioned six early stage career poets to be in residence as part of ON THE SIDE, an exhibition curated by Caps and Cans taking place at the Sidings, Waterloo.

Each poet will each spend 6 days in the exhibition space, using it as their creative studio and writing space, crafting poems in response to the 43 artworks on display. Poems will appear on large boards within the space, allowing the public to see the creative writing process in full flow.  There will also be an opportunity to have a bespoke poem written by one of the poets: pop into the space, answer a few questions and watch them turn your answers into a unique poem for you to take home.

Alongside this, the poets in residence will receive professional development via a series of workshops led by established poets. The poets in residence are Courtney Conrad, Cherry Eckel, Gafar Fashola, Eileen Gbagbo, Iftikhar Latif and Adeola Yemitan.

The exhibition is currently open and runs 1 Dec 2023 – 31 Jan 2024.
Location: The Sidings, Waterloo

To find out more about the general exhibition head to the Caps and Cans website HERE

tHE POETS IN RESIDENCE:

Courtney Conrad

Courtney is a Jamaican poet. Her debut pamphlet I Am Evidence is published by Bloodaxe Books. She is an Eric Gregory Award winner and a Bridport Prize Young Writers Award recipient. She is a Mslexia Women’s Pamphlet Prize winner. She was shortlisted for The White Review Poet’s Prize, the Manchester Poetry Prize, the Oxford Brookes International Poetry Competition, the Aesthetica Creative Writing Award’s Poetry Prize, the Bridport Poetry Prize and the Poetry Wales Pamphlet competition. She was longlisted for the Rebecca Swift Women Poets’ Prize and The Rialto Nature and Place Poetry Competition. She is an alumna of The London Library Emerging Writers Programme, Malika’s Poetry Kitchen, Barbican Young Poets, Obsidian Foundation Retreat, Griots Well Collective and Roundhouse Poetry Collective. She has performed at Glastonbury Festival, Brainchild Festival and UKYA City Takeover. She has been commissioned by the Museum of London, Institute of Contemporary Arts, Apples and Snakes, Victoria & Albert Museum, Guildhall, Tate Britain, The African Centre, BBC 1Xtra, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Spread the Word.

Cherry Eckel

Cherry Eckel is a theatre-maker, spoken-word poet, and performer, born and raised in London, currently studying in Manchester. She aims to create work that is collaborative, interdisciplinary, relevant, truthful, and electric. She is also the host of The Exam Hall, a podcast about the hardest exam in the world.  Cherry was part of Apples and Snakes production Cece’s Speakeasy and has also worked alongside renowned poet Zena Edwards on The Pause, a project delivering creative workshops themed around climate justice for Team London Bridge.

Gafar Fashola

Gafar Fashola is a Nigerian born poet who grew up in the heart of South London. Gafar is a contemporary poet who uses raw emotions and profound insights, with a gift for crafting elaborate verses that delve deep into the human experience. Gafar moved to the UK at the age of 5 , and throughout the years developed a keen sense of observation and a thirst for understanding the complexities of human relationships. This early exposure to both diversity and adversity served as the fertile ground upon which his poetic journey would take root. Gafar’s poetry is characterized by its unapologetic honesty and its fearless exploration of topics often left unspoken. He uses his verses to shine a light on the pressing social issues of our time, exploring issues from systemic inequalities to mental health challenges. His words are a call to action, urging society to reflect and effect change.

Eileen Gbagbo

Eileen Gbagbo is a spoken word artist and playwright based in London. Originally from Ghana, she is interested in the boundaries of language to help understand the historical and current phenomena of the world. Eileen’s poetry often explores themes of justice, identity, climate change and migration. Eileen was Highly Commended in the 2015 Slambassadors competition and have performed at various shows like Jawdance and institutions including the Saatchi Gallery and The Albany as part of Apples and Snakes production – Cece’s Speakeasy in collaboration with Jazz re:freshed.

Iftikhar Latif

Iftikhar Latif is a writer and poet of British-Bangladeshi descent. His work often refers to the British Asian experience, immigrant family relationships, deconstructions of masculinity and media theory. He is cofounder and producer of Off The Chest, which is an Arts Council funded poetry organisation that creates spaces for poetry through open mic nights and developmental workshops. He has worked with the V&A for their 2022 ‘Drip Maketh the Man’ project, and was part of the Apples and Snakes 2022 Writing Room.

Adeola Yemitan

Adeola Yemitan is a London-based poet, actor, theatremaker, and interdisciplinary artist. She is an alumnus of the Southbank Centre New Poets Collective and an associate artist with the National Youth Theatre (NYT). Her poetry often explores the intersections of faith, religion, and popular culture in her experience and how she perceives it unfolding in the world now. She was commissioned to create a performance for COP26 in Glasgow by the NYT. Entitled I Don’t Care and performed by a cast of young people, it looked at the apathy surrounding climate change action, featuring poetry and original vocal music, which plays a large part in her practice. Most recently, she worked with physical theatre company, The PappyShow, on a live performance at Somerset House as part of Morgan Stanley Lates. The short film, People Carry Place, worked on in collaboration with artists Issi Nanaybeyin, Tanya Anand, Ijeoma Uzoukwu and Sarah Lever, was screened at the London Short Film Festival at the BFI and featured in the British pavilion at the 2023 Venice Biennale.

Caps and Cans Insta: @capsandcansfestival

The Sidings Insta: @sidingswaterloo