Apples and Snakes and Birmingham Libraries present
Poets' Place

Poets' Place is an informal gathering of poets that happens twice a month. It is an opportunity to meet like‐minded people, give and solicit feedback on your poetry, or just sit back and write for a couple of hours without interruption. You can use the Poets’ Place to make new friends, discover new poets, share and have your work critiqued, make useful connections, set a writing schedule... The Poets' Place can be whatever you decide to make of it.

Whether you are a published poet, a slam champion, or someone who is still wondering whether poetry might be worth a try, stop by. There is no need to book ahead: just show up with your poems or a blank notebook. There will be someone there to make you feel welcome and advise you on how to make the most of your time there.

The Poets’ Place is located on the Lower Ground Floor of Birmingham Central Library and it access via the Netloan Centre.

When: Saturday 11 February & Saturday 25 February, 2pm - 4pm
Where: Birmingham Central Library, Chamberlain Square, Birmingham B3 3HQ
Tickets: £FREE
Info: www.birmingham.gov.uk/centrallibrary / www.facebook.com/placeforpoets

Apples and Snakes and Worcester Literary Festival present
Learn:Eat:Perform

The much-loved workshop series returns after a one-month break with the wonderful Ben Mellor. BBC Radio 4 National Slam Champion 2009, Ben is a writer, performer and educator who has performed his work nationally and internationally at venues and events including Contact Theatre, the Edinburgh Fringe, Latitude Festival, the RSC’s New Work Festival and Kathmandu International Theatre Festival. Don’t miss this chance to learn from one of the country’s best!

The workshop will be followed by lunch and a short open mic session where you can put what you have learned into practice. 15 places maximum.

When: Sunday 19 February, 11am - 3pm
Where: Worcester Arts Workshop, 21 Sansome Street, Worcester WR1 1UH
Tickets: £6 / £5
Info: www.worcslitfest.com
Booking: www.worcslitfest.com / on the day

Apples and Snakes presents
Hit the Ode

The best poetry from the region, the country and the world at the heart of Birmingham.

Hit the Ode: an electrifying night of spoken word poetry by the best performers from around the corner - and around the world. Each Hit the Ode features one act from the Midlands, one from elsewhere in the UK, and, uniquely, one international guest. Expect an eclectic and carefully selected mix of performers and a boisterous but discerning audience.

Featuring:

From Birmingham, Paul Murphy: known as the punk poet of The Destroyers, Paul captivates audiences with his heartfelt energy, sagacity and rib tickling sense of humour.

From Bristol, Vanessa Kisuule: a multiple slam winning young poet makes her first visit to the second city to discuss cheese toasties, rubber ducks, and social injustices.

From the USA, Jon Sands and Ken Arkind: two of the brightest stars on the thriving New York poetry circuit stop by on their European tour to share their poetry with you.

A very few highly coveted open mic slots are also available.

When: Thursday 23 February, 7.30pm
Where: The Victoria, 48 John Bright St, Birmingham B1 1BN
Tickets: £5
Info: www.thevictoriabirmingham.co.uk / Facebook
Booking: on the door

Open mic: half of the open mic slots available via email ( bohdan@applesandsnakes.org), the other half can be claimed on the door on the day of the event.

Mark Gonzales Poetry Masterclass and Performance
Poet. Scholar. Lover of Life. Mark Gonzales is an HBO Def Poet with a Master’s in Education, a Mexican and a Muslim. He transcends citizenship identity to break borders and wage beauty across continents through culture. He is respected internationally for his creative approaches to suicide prevention, human rights and human development via performance and narrative therapy. He is currently a Visiting Professor and Artist in Residence at Stanford University, USA. Masterclass places allocated on first come, first served basis
When: Sunday 19 February 2012, 10am - 4pm (masterclass), 7pm - 9pm (performance)
Where: The Hubb, 9a Stoney Lane, Birmingham B12 8DL
Info: Facebook event / www.muslimwritersawards.org.uk

Carving Out The Poem
Jon Sands and Ken Arkind will hold a workshop before featuring at Hit the Ode on the same night.
When our life experience suggests that celebration always comes laced with a hint of melancholy, and joy is a border that surrounds sorrow; how can we construct poems that acknowledge a complicated and dynamic world? How do we avoid writing that only does one thing, and performances that transform us into caricatures? In this workshop, we will explore tangible ways to reveal a 3-dimensional view of our poems. Bring a notebook, pen, and a sense of adventure as we take our art to the edge of the universe, and bring back proof that we’ve been there. There is a suggested donation of £5. Sign up possible until the day subject to availability (15 participants maximum).
When: Thursday 23 February, 4pm - 5.30pm
Where: The Victoria, 48 John Bright Street, Birmingham B1 1BN
Info: bohdan@applesandsnakes.org

Mouth and Music
New monthly acoustic spoken word and music night in Kidderminster including open mic (though there's no PA in this intimate venue). Presented by Heather Wastie and Sarah Tamar for kaf creatives. On February 14 the guest performer will be writer and storyteller John Edgar
“Spell binding tales in the hands of a master” - Yarn Festival of Storytelling.
When: Saturday 14 February, 7.30pm
Where: Boars Head Taphouse, 39 Worcester Street  Worcestershire, Kidderminster DY10 1EW
Tickets: £3 / free for performers
Info: enquiries@heatherwastie.co.uk