The ARC - Performance Hall

​

FREE (by invitation)

Hampshire Young Poets' Celebration

Presented by Damian Kelly-Basher

Saturday 5th October

10:30 - 11:30am​

​

Join Hampshire Poet, Damian Kelly-Basher, as we celebrate those who entered the Hampshire Young Poets competition 2024, in this special prizegiving event.

Hampshire Young Poets is a partnership between Hampshire Cultural Trust and Winchester Poetry Festival. In this year’s competition, we asked entrants to write a poem on the theme of 'Our world, our planet’.

Suitable for: children 4yrs+, families, all ages.

Duration: 1hr

Format: in person

Access: relaxed performance

The ARC - Learning Rooms

​

£6

Things We Call Home

Workshop with Susmita Bhattacharya

Saturday 5th October 

10.30 - 12pm

Write a poem inspired by the objects that mean home to you. Bring an object, or a photo of one, to start you on this poetic exploration.

Join Susmita Bhattacharya in this workshop celebrating 'home'. Please bring a pen and something to write on, and your chosen item/photo.

Susmita Bhattacharya is an Indian author and poet based in Winchester. She mentors underrepresented writers and is co-founder of the Write Beyond Borders Mentoring Project. Her debut novel is The Normal State of Mind (Parthian, 2015) and Table Manners (Dahlia Publishing, 2018) won the Saboteur Award for Best Short Story Collection in 2019 and was serialised on BBC Radio 4 Extra. Her poems have been included in anthologies, placed in competitions and recently been included in the Indian Poetry Yearbook 2023.

Suitable for: adults of all abilities
Duration: 1.5 hours
Format: in person​​

The ARC - Community Space

​

FREE

Skill Up Your Poetry With Synaesthesia

Drop-in session with Akila Richards

Saturday 5th October 

11am - 1pm

What is Synaesthesia? It is a rare medical condition where people may taste words or hear colours. And we can use this rarity skilfully in poetry and prose writing.

Let’s have fun and play with our senses to create imaginative poems and writing and another quality to your lines and verses or end with a surprising twist. We can use this technique to make descriptions more vivid and radiant. We exchange one sense for another to create strong images and delve deeper into emotions. Imbue your sound with colour, and let colour perfume your eyes, or can you taste the number three, do you see Sunday in yellow?

Join Writing Our Legacy poet Akila Richards in this fun experimentation and create a new poem that may surprise you with all your senses. Drop in and join the session between 11 and 1pm.

Akila Richards is an award-winning poet, writer and spoken word artist, performing and collaborating nationally and internationally. Her work features in collaboration with artists and genres for theatre, film, visual arts and digital platforms. Her portfolio includes facilitating and initiating creative and cultural events, offering creative workshops, managing projects and providing mentoring and coaching to writers. From an Artist-in-House residency at Brighton Dome, Akila is developing ‘The Rest Experience’ programme. Her poetry and prose are published in Covert Magazine, Creative Future, Dulwich Picture Gallery, Peepal Tree, Penguin, Waterloo Press, Brighton Festival and online platforms. Her latest fiction is included in the speculative anthology ‘Glimpse’ at Peepal Tree Press. Her poetry pamphlet “Ritual for a Mango’ was edited and published by Flipped Eye and launched on 2nd February 2024 at the International Black Speculative Writing Festival at Goldsmith University.

Writing Our Legacy CIC is an arts and heritage organisation that enables Black, Asian and ethnically diverse/BPOC people to tell their stories through writing and the creative arts. We were established in 2012 and are an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation 2023-26.

Suitable for: all ages and abilities
Duration: 2hr drop-in session
Format: in person
Access: relaxed performance​​

The ARC - Performance Hall

FREE (booking advised)

Home: readings from Write A Note

Readings and performances

Saturday 5th October

12:30 - 2pm

​​

At this event we're handing the mic to popular local open mic Write A Note. Write a Note will bring a selection of spoken word artists who regularly take part on the monthly open mic to the Winchester Poetry Festival to showcase some of their work. ‘Home’ is the chosen theme, and they will each be reading a piece that demonstrates the meaning of this theme for them individually.

Featured poets are: Anita Foxall, Andy White, Ri Baroche, Harley Truslove and The Village Boy.

The session will begin with the winning poem from our competition with Unity101fm.

It will conclude with performances from Writing Our Legacy guest poets Akila Richards and Adriana Lord.

Write A Note is a monthly spoken word open mic that takes place at the MAST in Southampton. It is hosted and organised by local poet Anita Foxall, and has the support of ArtfulScribe. All poets and spoken word artists are invited to take part, regardless of the experience level or style.

Adriana Lord (she/her) is a singer-songwriter, writer, theatre performer and singing group leader. She uses her creative expression to entertain while opening people to connections and healing as well as raising awareness about social issues. She is the lead vocalist of Brighton-based Afro-Cuban bands Son Guarachando and LOKEBA.

Akila Richards is an award-winning poet, writer and spoken word artist, performing and collaborating nationally and internationally. Her work features in collaboration with artists and genres for theatre, film, visual arts and digital platforms. Her portfolio includes facilitating and initiating creative and cultural events, offering creative workshops, managing projects and providing mentoring and coaching to writers. From an Artist-in-House residency at Brighton Dome, Akila is developing ‘The Rest Experience’ programme. Her poetry and prose are published in Covert Magazine, Creative Future, Dulwich Picture Gallery, Peepal Tree, Penguin, Waterloo Press, Brighton Festival and online platforms. Her latest fiction is included in the speculative anthology ‘Glimpse’ at Peepal Tree Press. Her poetry pamphlet “Ritual for a Mango’ was edited and published by Flipped Eye and launched on 2nd February 2024 at the International Black Speculative Writing Festival at Goldsmith University.

Suitable for: all
Duration: 1.5hr
Format: in person, poetry readings and performances
Access: relaxed performance

The ARC - Community Space

​

FREE

Exploring Mindfulness Through Sound

Drop-in session with Adriana Lord

Saturday 5th October

2:30 - 4:30pm

​

Join Adriana as she speaks about sound and mindfulness in her artistic practice. She will also share the experiences that became practical lessons in her journey as a performer navigating multiple disciplines.

Drop in and join the session between 2:30 and 4:30pm

Workshop facilitated by Writing Our Legacy artist Adriana Lord

Adriana Lord (she/her) is a singer-songwriter, writer, theatre performer and singing group leader. She uses her creative expression to entertain while opening people to connections and healing as well as raising awareness about social issues. She is the lead vocalist of Brighton-based Afro-Cuban bands Son Guarachando and LOKEBA.

Writing Our Legacy CIC is an arts and heritage organisation that enables Black, Asian and ethnically diverse/BPOC people to tell their stories through writing and the creative arts. We were established in 2012 and are an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation 2023-26.

Suitable for: all ages and abilities
Duration: 2hr drop-in session
Format: in person
Access: relaxed performance

The ARC - Performance Hall

and ONLINE

​​

FREE (booking required)

Winchester Poetry Prize Ceremony 2024

Presented by Clare Shaw

Saturday 5th October

3 - 4:30pm

​

Our popular Winchester Poetry Prize goes from strength to strength, with entries pouring in from talented poets around the world each year.

This exciting live event is an opportunity to hear us count down the commended poems, right through to the winners. Hear the poems being read live by the poets themselves in this special prize giving ceremony, as we celebrate the winners and launch the 2024 anthology and new Kathryn Bevis Prize.

The Winchester Poetry Prize judge for 2024 is Clare Shaw, who will be presenting this event.

First Prize £1000 | Second Prize £500 | Third Prize £250

Kathryn Bevis Prize of £150 and a year of poetry tuition from The Writing School Online will be awarded for the best poem written by a Hampshire-based poet.

Clare Shaw‘s fourth poetry collection “Towards a General Theory of Love” (Bloodaxe, 2022) won a Northern Writers Award and was a Poetry Society Book of the Year. Clare teaches creative writing at the University of Huddersfield, and is a regular tutor at Wordsworth Grasmere, the Royal Literary Fund and the Arvon Foundation.

With many thanks to our competition sponsors Paris Smith and The Writing School Online.

Suitable for: all
Duration: 1.5 hr
Format: in person and online

Access: BSL interpreted