Skills improvement in the North East

As a performance poet, you need to be able to make the most of both your writing and your performance skills – sounds obvious, but not everyone works as both aspects of their art. Here are some ideas about where to go for help, guidance and tuition in both areas, in the North East.

Performance skills
Apples and Snakes runs a free monthly rehearsal club, one in Newcastle and one in Middlesbrough. Scratch Tyne takes place on the third Sunday on the month from 3pm-6pm and culminates in a performance and networking event with an audience of critical friends who give constructive feedback. Scratch Tees takes place on the third Tuesday of the month from 6pm–8pm in Middlesbrough and is just a rehearsal club, with poets then signposted to perform at the Arc’s Arcade Express scratch night later in the month.

Poets could also gain skills by getting involved in other disciplines such as acting, burlesque or even dance. The Arc runs an artist development scheme called Arcade, where members can access a wide range of inter-disciplinary workshops. You can join online here.

Lastly, go and see other people perform – not just at open mics, but pay to go and see bigger name performers when they come to the region, and check out videos on YouTube.

Writing skills
There are so many things you can do to keep challenging your skills as a poet:
•    Join your local creative writing group.
•    Keep a daily poetry journal or have a daily writing practice of some sort.
•    Join Writer’s Block in Teesside and take part in one-hour challenges and daily writing exercises which will keep you limber in multiple writing forms.
•    Take short courses at the Poetry School, or the Newcastle Centre for Literary Arts or check out your local library, adult education centre or WEA for classes.
•    Apply to do short modules, summer schools and full MAs in Creative Writing at Northumbria, Newcastle or Teesside Universities.
•    Read poetry! Read extensively!

Look out for mentoring opportunities
The Arc and Apples and Snakes will be working together to develop a number of mentoring opportunities to fill the gaps in spoken word artists’ development. These will be regularly promoted through the Arc’s Arcade membership scheme, and via the Apples and Snakes facebook group and e-newsletter. Be a part of these virtual communities in order to keep in the loop – you can sign up for the Snakebasket by visiting the Apples and Snakes website or contacting Kirsten.