Poetry in Nottingham – Lytisha Tunbridge

Poems, Places, and Virtual Words.

Well, what a summer! Lots of music, poetry, friends, festivals, viruses and multi-lingualism.

Here’s a poem for you from the launch of A Journey Inside, Impressions of Essaouira.

Places: I’ve been poeting in Parliament, at Womad with The Big Girls Village, as Poet-in-Residence at Wollaton Arts Festival, in Fountaine Daniel, France, at The National Holocaust Centre, at City Arts and at hybrid events with DIY Poets, and at various World Jam performances, as well as super events around the country.

Virtual Words: This year my poems are available in the Poetry Place exhibition both on-line and touring Inspire Libraries, in the virtual house as part of the A (socially distanced) Room of Ones Own, on DIY Poets YouTube channel, on VisualVerse.org as well as A Journey Inside VR Poem, the prototype of which is being tested currently.

I hope you’ve had a super year thus far, and we all have a poetic autumn / winter.

Lytisha

Here comes 2023!

Happy New Year!

Well, here we are again – one of Lytisha’s sporadic ‘regular’ blogs! Today the view from the house on the hill is of many hues of gray, at slanted angles over the gray rooftops. The wind is blustering, bursts of raindrops are attacking the window but all is warm and dry indoors – despite being abandoned by the cat. Apparently in the jumper section of the wardrobe is even cosier than this desk – and may account for future furry clothing.

Who am I kidding? All my clothes have been furry since…. furever!

This year I will be focussing on a couple of exciting projects.

I was fortunate enough to win an Arts Council England Award in October to fund A Journey Inside – the Virtual Reality version. Some of you might recall the poem I performed a few times in 2017 following a 2016 MRI scan? In 2018 it evolved with the help of COMA into an augmented experiential piece which was performed with live music as part of both the COMA National Festival and Nottingham Poetry Festival. During these performances the audience wore blindfolds and the sounds surrounded them.

This year I am working on a new incarnation recreating the experience in virtual reality. I am working with the support of the Mixed Reality Lab at the University of Nottingham ( I Know – how amazing does that sound!), City Arts and others.

You will be able to come test out the prototype at the 2023 Nottingham Poetry Festival in May – dates to be confirmed.

Women Say Stuff will be back again in March, organised as ever by a group of women volunteers from the DIY Poets co-hort. Always a fabulous event so keep your eyes peeled for the details on social media.

Meantime Multiple Shenanigans blog with Jeanette Bird-Bradley on youtube continues monthly and I look forward to seeing you at the DIY Poets showcase at City Arts on 9^th February.

Here’s a look at a poem that you can find via the QR code on the Nottingham Arboretum noticeboard as part of the Haptive Quest from 2022. See if you find the tree in the arboretum featured:

So, lots to look forward to in 2023. I hope to catch you out and about at an event or at a gig soon.

Lytisha

Poet-in-Residence speaking!

Where to begin?! So much happening with Wollaton Arts News, Nottingham Poetry Festival, qualifications and much more to look forward to in the coming couple of months.

Lytisha, that’s me!, has been appointed Poet-in-residence for the Wollaton Arts Festival. This means as well as hosting the Poetry Aloud evening on Friday 24th of June, I will also be engaging with the Wollaton community during the festival week and the results will be showcased at the Wollaton Arts Festival finale, Wollaton Park on Sunday 26th June. I do hope you get to join us for some events, in person or via Zoom.

As part of my #DYCP I have completed and passed the Award in Education and Training, and am now qualified to teach adult learners. This will enable me to create even more dynamic learning experiences for groups and workshop participants. I am keen to expand my work with young adults so if you would like to book me, please do get in touch at Info@lytishapoet.co.uk.

Lytisha, woman in 50’s with white hair, raising a glass full of brightly coloured juice.

Nottingham Poetry Festival is almost upon us. There is a whole host of amazing poets lined up, and more events than you shake a stick at! I am directly involved with these three, plus will be watching many more!

Sharing Spaces with the Social Model Writers at Nottingham Playhouse on Sat 7th May 2022 at 2.30pm

We are delighted to be performing ‘Sharing Spaces’ at The Neville Studio in Nottingham Playhouse as part of Nottingham Poetry Festival 2022.

The event is free to attend and to make this event as accessible as possible to both performers and audience, it can be accessed in the venue or via zoom.

To book your free in venue or via zoom ticket click here.

DIY Poets Festival Showcase at City Arts, Hockley is on Thursday 12^th May 22 at 7.30pm.

DIY Poets are a Nottingham collective that have grown and developed some very fine poets through their regular critique sessions, workshops, and performances. This is our showcase. Details here.

WSO & Poetry Aloud presents: These are the Days at Sherwood Methodist Church, NG5 2EN on Friday 13^th May 22 at 7.30pm

These are the days: …. luxury mansions owned but empty, streets being the sheets for others. Displaced people at our doorstep, from wherever they had to leave. These are the days we didn’t imagine in 2022. For more details and to book your spaces click here:

Phew- so much happening in the next short while – and I haven’t mentions Ludlow Literature festival, or the next set of Lite Bites in the pipeline! Watch this space. I’ll leave you with the trials of the creative writer… never knowing what lies beneath!

Cat, Dixie, pawing at the seam cut into the carpet

Summer is unveiling

Summer is unveiling.

Ta-da! I have a poem on stone. I guess that makes me a rock poet now – well I do have a geologically based poem or two. The poem was commissioned by Nottingham City Homes to commemorate the Lenton Green estate that has replaced the 5 multi-storey blocks that were demolished behind the Savoy Cinema in Nottingham. It has been transformed into family homes and bungalows, plus a really swish supported living block, where everyone has their own balcony, their own piece of the sky. Thanks to Keith Turner for the photo.

I really enjoyed the commission; the research, chatting to residents and hanging out by the bee hotel to get a sense of the place. If anyone else is would like to commission a bespoke poem, please do get in touch.

So, what else as been happening in the past three months?

Multiple Shenanigans continues to go from strength to strength. We were delighted to be the featured podcast by the Culture, Health and Wellbeing organisation and have a guest blog on their website which they promoted on World MS Awareness day for us, which amazing. We continue to get positive feedback and more importantly we both enjoy making them. Still learning as we go. We’ve another guest with us toward the end of June, so look out for that episode too. If anyone fancies joining us and discussing the humorous side of life living with MS or other conditions, please contact me and we can have a chat.

I haven’t been very active on the poetry stages for a few months as I had a prolonged episode of Trigeminal neuralgia which made speaking extremely difficult for a while, but I am luckily much improved now. I have kept myself busy with some other activities, including Lite Bites, but the project with Sue Allen I mentioned last time had to be poetponed. Oh, I think I inadvertently created a new word there. I quite like it! We will be back, soonish.

The big news for the forthcoming year is that I have been successful in receiving a DYCP grant from the Arts Council to work on some training and with a mentor on a new (to me) style project. So, I shall be doing lots of learning and hopefully will have something to show you all at the end of it.

Still a couple of events coming up – check out the Events listings for details.

Think that’s it for now – even though I didn’t mention swimming in the sea. Did I ever mention I love the sea?

Lytisha

Time to snuggle in

It’s definitely autumn. I say that with some conviction because today on woman’s hour there was a discussion about when we are in both meteorological and astrological winter – and both are around the 21st of December, ergo, we are in autumn still. The leaves are beautiful, though falling fast. The nights begin before you realise and hot chocolate has become the beverage of choice.

Time to think about cosy evenings in, and how we can fill the long dark days. Well, there is much to do! 13th – 22nd November sees Nottingham Poetry Festival‘s 5th event, and this year it is all on-line and free – so you can join us from wherever you are.

If you fancy a workshop, I am facilitating World Jam’s Kicking up leaves, and staring at fires on Sunday 22nd November. Join us online, details on the World Jam page.

Gigs to look out for during the NPF: Looking forward, with Hindsight by Poetry Aloud presents: and DIY Eclectic Showcase I can personally recommend. The fact that I hosted both is not at all relevant!

I’m also working behind the scenes with other artists on forthcoming projects that are very exciting, but about which I have to keep Mum for now…

This autumn and winter is going to be a tough one for many, so be kind to yourselves, and to others. Here’s a #DixieCatNottm image to keep you warm and fuzzy inside. (There are plenty more on her insta site!)

Covid- 19 Part 2. The ‘new normal’

25^th April to 1^st June – 36 days in which time:

I’ve given five public performances – virtually – collaborating with five event hosts. This includes being the first artist ever to perform at two consecutive Kimberley Sessions, and Dixie being the first feline to star at any of the Kimberley Sessions!

I have now uploaded my performances to my YouTube page. I plan to be more proactive with it, so if you could give it a follow – that’d be most marvellous.

Delivered poetry workshops, and collaborated with Heart Art in Buxton. There are more workshops coming up with Nottingham Writers Studio in July and September.

Remember Where’s Wally? Well I ran 10 rounds of Spot Dixie on my facebook page, which proved very popular. But that’s cat’s for you.

Finally sorted my Author Central page on Amazon. This one I could do with your help. If you have read any of my books and would like to leave a review – that would be marvellous.

I’ve been working with Ellis Guidford School and the University of Nottingham MEITS project to produce resources for EAL pupils, which is very exciting. I can’t wait to see the work they produce as a result of it.

Very excitingly, the results of the collaboration with Nottingham Trent University Graphic Design students and Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature are here to see. I, alongside the fine poets: Di Slaney, Greg Woods, Sue Dymoke, Hazel Warren and Trevor Wright shared poems with first year graphic design students.

They had a fairly open brief and this work was done during lockdown, when students had no access to the university facilities. I submitted a collection of Bloody Poems looking at perimenopause and the students did the rest. I am so impressed. Please do take a look around this site. You can look by poet name, or pupil via the home pages. There is a lot of amazing work to see.https://poetryofpublishing.cargo.site/LytishaTunbridge

Things I’ve been working on, to be shared in the future.

A major DIY Poets project which is still in the pipeline
Two anthologies – details to follow soon
A short collection of writings inspired by both a clearing-out find and the international Crossed Lines – Telepoetics Symposium hosted by Dr Sarah Jackson. https://crossedlines.co.uk/about/
Collaborations with other artists…

During this period I’ve also changed internet provider, got a new battery for my car, appreciated my neighbours for their friendship, jumps starts, back alley chats, clearance skills, and banana cake delivery. Also very grateful for plants, internet / film editing and boiler issue resolutions to friends.

And I’ve discovered that the clematis that never flowered, turns out to be a honeysuckle that is finally quietly blooming in the yard.

I am hoping the relaxation of lockdown will be effected wisely and that I might get a rest in the next month – this staying home is exhausting!

https://poetryofpublishing.cargo.site/LytishaTunbridge

2020: Part 1 Pre C-19

This was not the blog I thought I’d be writing. To be honest, I’ve put off updating you because I felt in a kind of suspended animation. But there have been so many good events I’ve been involved with this year it doesn’t feel fair to let the current situation to take anything away from them. So, here’s a round up of January to mid-March 2020.
So, the year began cheerfully enough on 8th January with a gig at The People’s Museum, Manchester. I read some poems at Meet We Shall Overcome event organised by Matt Hill, featuring the WSO work of Pauline Townsend, and celebrating all the WSO volunteers around the country.
Saturday 11th January saw poets from World Jam reading from their anthology at Five Leaves Bookshop. We had poems shared in several languages, and Sherry performed some verses from Rumi, the Persian poet.
January 31st Refugee Roots Take Over at Sobar. This great event featured the ever fabulous, and talented Jude Winwood playing her kora, soothing, energising and relaxing all in one set. This was followed by Two Seda performing a great set, if I do say so myself. The evening was rounded off by the enigmatic Obi Rudo who had us up on our feet dancing. Check out his music page, or you might catch him busking near the Market Square if you are lucky.
22nd Feb was a house gig collecting donations of food and clothing for WSO where we heard from Joe Solo, the motivating heart of WSO, Pixie Styx, Paul Carbuncle, and many others, including myself. Several boxes of goods and a wedge of money donated to local causes.
Then came scary Thursday! I joined Leanne Moden on the sofa at Ey Up Notts! Live magazine programme on Notts TV. It was my tv debut! Well, apart from crowd scenes and vox pops… Oh and that film.. Anyhow, we were there promoting Women Say Stuff 5, which was organised by some of the women of DIY Poets. The event itself, on International Women’s Day was fabulous. Three hours of women saying their stuff in poetic or short story format. Always great to hear new voices, and familiar ones. The featured acts were Maresa MacKeith, Sara Awayes, and myself.
I also attended and performed at two book launches, Genevieve Carver’s at Scarthins Bookshop and Kevin Jackson’s Loves Burn launch at City Arts. Both great books that I highly recommend.
From mid March my diary changed to a series of crossings out, cancelled events, and life became very home-based. Some of that has changed now with On-line events and festivals – lots of exciting news about them to come in the next blog. For upcoming events, don’t forget to check out my gig listings.

Backbone

As I am just a bit hectic with things, rather than leave you with a silence, here’s a video of an old poem, Backbone, as performed at the launch of A Backpack on his Backpack. I hope you enjoy it, and that your traffic jams clear soon.

2020 – here we go!

I know it’s virtually February and I haven’t told you all about the marvellous things that occurred in the rest of December, but I’ve just got back from a week away in the sun, after the 5 week horrid cold & cough bug that left me voiceless for 17 days. I know! I bet you are speechless too.

So, January. Lots happened, happening, about to happen. I’ve updated my events page with all the future dates that are inked in, and there is much to look forward to. However, one of my resolutions was to spend more time crafting my poetry and less gadding about. So, if you see a bit less of me sharing my individual poems out there, it’s because I’m busy scribbling here. With #DixieCatNottm on my knee. Also, Mina and I will be looking to do more Two Seda gigs, so do look out for us, or better yet – book us!

So that’s the plan. Fewer gigs, less chocolate, more gigs, more excercise, and more writing. What could possibly go wrong?

Oh, and Two Seda will be at Sobar on Friar Lane this Friday, 31st Jan for the Refugee Roots take over. Good cake, good entertainments, good times, good excse to catch up. See you there before you go funking with Fat Digester?

Hockley Hustled!

Well! After Sunday I feel well and truly Hustled – in the best possible way. The 2019 Hockley Hustle in the Hockley district of Nottingham is an annual event involving over 350 artists on 30+ stages in and around the clubs, bars, streets and other ‘venues’ in Hockley. Artists, musicians, poets, dancers and stage promoters come together to create an event that raises funds for charities and organisations supporting Nottingham’s most vulnerable.

I was involved in a couple of ways this year. I was delighted to perform with Two Seda, a multi-lingual trio who perform original poetry in Farsi and English, accompanied by Portugeuse music. We have had a short break from performing since Easter, but we have been busy writing and it was great to perform our new pieces, along with a couple of older favourites on the beautifully decorated Acoustickle stage, managed by the multitalented Parisa East.

Then it was over to Emmanuel House were I was hosting the We Shall Overcome stage for the Hockley Hustle. It was a fabulous line-up with many lovely. supportive and talented people – if I do say so myself! We had, aside from four brave open micers, The Rise singers with songs from Iceland to Africa, via The Flying Pickets’ song, Only You. We had top poetry from Katy Gearing and myself. We had the constantly fabulous King of Rome, including their new song Blind Eye written especially for the volunteers that go out and support the street homeless in Nottingham on a Sunday. We had Pixie Styx joined by the Bluesberry Jammers, Blue Vulture doing an acoustic set, the incomparable Marc Block leading us all in singalongs. Northern Monkey trekking over from NE Derbyshire especially to perform for us and rounding the day off leading everyone arm in arm in a great rendition of We Shall Overcome. A fabulous day’s entertainment, and all raising money and supporting the amazing work Emmanuel House do to support people suffering the effects of austerity.

After all that I barely had the energy to manage the three hours of festivalising I managed – though mostly sat rather than dancing like a lune. Nottingham, you are so good at pulling together for those in need. It’s one of the reasons those of us passing through stay. Nice one.

November is a quieter one – just the two gigs from me on the horizon –

Though you are likely to find me at Poetry Cocktail on the 15th November hosted by Gail Webb as it’ll be a good one, featuring Leanne Moden and Sue Allen – two of my favourites.

I am featured poet at Poetry Undercover on Tuesday 19th November at Ludorati. There are still a few spaces available for this, I believe.

DIY Poets quarterly showcase is Thursday 14th November and features the fine poet Kevin Jackson, you’ll find me listening to all the great diy voices.

Then on Saturday 23rd November I will be one of the chapters of But I Know This City. Find me at Nonsuch 4 – 10pm.