Bath Spa Reaching Out Through Spoken Word

A spoken word show devised by a Bath Spa University performance poet starts its South West tour today (Friday 7th March).

‘Count Me In’ has been created by novelist, performance poet and Reader in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University, Lucy English.

This touring show combines spoken word with multi-media. It is set in a Bingo Hall and involves audience participation.

Count Me In has received a substantial Arts Council Strategic Funding Grant as it will bring spoken word to rural and outlying communities in the South West which have little or no access to the arts.

Looking ahead to the tour Lucy said: “Count Me In is taking spoken word to places that do not usually come into contact with this art form. We are looking forward to meeting our audiences across the South West and including their words into our show.”

Three Bath Spa students are part of the touring team and have played an active role in the production and staging of the show. Before each show the team will run a creative writing workshop to gather poems and stories from each community and these will be featured in the show.

Count Me In is the second spoken word show produced by the South West Collective, a team of spoken word artists who specialise in bringing spoken word to new audiences. Their shows feature spoken word poetry, multi media images, music and sound.

The tour dates are:

• Friday 7th March – St Ives Arts Club, Cornwall.
• Saturday 22nd March – Ceridwen Arts Centre, Carmarthenshire.
• Friday 4th April – Cheltenham Poetry Festival.
• Throughout April – South Gloucestershire libraries.
• Friday 18th April – Bristol Poetry Festival.
• Sunday 18th May – Plough Arts Centre, Great Torrington, Devon.
• Wednesday 9th July – Merlin Theatre, Frome.

Further dates are still to be confirmed for libraries in Bath & North East Somerset, and venues in Shropshire and Herefordshire.

The Creative Writing course at Bath Spa has produced many successful graduates during its 20 year history. Course tutors are themselves respected writers and their links with the publishing industry are invaluable to graduates.

Since 2012, the University has appointed a number of new Professors of Creative Writing including Naomi Alderman, David Almond, Aminatta Forna, Tessa Hadley, Philip Hensher, Kate Pullinger and Fay Weldon CBE.