A monthly spoken word night for unheard and under-represented voices in Teesside.

DiVerse features special guests and open mic performers who are womxn, LGBTQIA+, visibly and invisibly disabled, refugee and artists of colour. DiVerse alternates venues between Hope & Union in Stockton and Shanti Bistro in Saltburn.

Featuring:

John Turner
Using poetry to talk about the things that matter to him, John Turner’s writing addresses topics from depression and poor mental health to suicide and getting help. John believes in sharing enough of himself to make you a little uncomfortable, and can be found performing on stages or writing in cafes all over the North East.

Katie Metcalfe
Katie Metcalfe is an English writer, blogger, poet and publisher living with bi-polar and psychosis. She’s the author of several books, including Dying Is Forbidden In Longyearbyen and My Father The Wendigo. Her work is centralised on the north, and she’s currently planning her first solo show, focusing on the Arctic and the impact climate change there.

Saju Ahmed
Saju is a Leeds-based spoken word poet and rapper of Bangladeshi and Irish heritage. His work challenges social issues and looks to deconstruct stereotypes. Saju has performed internationally and is currently the Resident Poet of The Sunday Practise as well as being a part of First Story and National Lit Trust, delivering creative writing and performance workshops in high schools nationwide.

Sara Zafar
Sara Zafar has a Creative Writing MA from Teesside University; her poetry focuses on the cultural struggles of women around the world and her own experiences of being a British South Asian woman. Sara aims to address the avoided and uncomfortable conversations of race, religion and gender with her poetry.

For open mic slots, sign up on the night.