Poetry & Open Mic Nights

The idea first came around when the Council’s Arts Group were interviewing prospective applicants for their Artist in Residence scheme. Among those applying was Maddi Crease, a 21-year-old poet and artist from Leigh-on-Sea.

Although Maddi was unsuccessful in her bid to become Artist in Residence this year, she wowed the interview panel with her creative ideas, maturity and also her love of poetry, which is something the Council Arts Group has been yet to explore.

With this in mind, we approached Maddi to help us in setting up the Council’s very own monthly poetry night. However, “The Listening Room” comes with a twist, we are excited to be providing a creative spotlight for not only poets, but also story tellers, musicians and comedians, and we also hope this will appeal to a wide demographic in terms of audience too. Each month we will also be featuring a guest performer, and Maddi will be our first guest for the inaugural evening.

Maddi says; “I find poetry, and spoken forms of creativity in general, to be a really great way to express everything you might not otherwise say. It can be used to explore topics you may not have had the chance to work through, or express your views in a unique way. Through tools like metaphor, we can protect ourselves if we feel the need. When performing, there’s nobody interrupting your self-expression. It’s your chance to be real, raw, and clear, but in a way that often feels safer than a plain conversation.

For the audience, poetry is something you can learn from - about the subject matter, the poet, or even your own reactions. It’s also a chance to escape your world and step into someone else’s point of view.”

The Listening Room will be open on the second Wednesday of the month from 7.30pm – 9.30pm at the Lorna & Lottie’s Café in Leigh Community Centre. The bar will be open providing refreshments, including alcohol, soft and hot drinks. Entry to the nights will be by donation, on a pay what you can basis, with all profits going towards the Town Council’s Chairman’s Charity, GOLD GEESE.

2023 Dates

• 11th January
• 8th February
• 8th March
• 12th April
• 10th May