Spork! presents a spoken-word poetry Halloween special at Exeter Phoenix on Thursday 31 October featuring poet Ella Frears plus a poetry slam.
Ella Frears is a poet and artist from London. She has been poet-in-residence for the National Trust, Tate Britain, John Hansard Gallery and Royal Holloway, University of London.
Her debut poetry collection Shine, Darling, published in 2020, was shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best First Collection and the T.S. Eliot Prize for Poetry.
Goodlord, her most recent collection, was published earlier this year.
In 2017, she collaborated with artist Ben Sanderson on an installation, The Six Pillars of Modernism, which was displayed at Tate St Ives, where her poems about the St Ives School are also on display.
Ella Frears. Photo: Ella Frears.
The Dead Poets Slam, hosted by Edward Tripp and Chris White, will see six famous poets rise from the dead for one night, brought to life by contemporary artists.
They will battle it out for a chance to win everlasting life, plus a £100 cash prize.
Edward Tripp is a writer, performer and stand-up poet based in Devon.
A Spork! regular, he has performed at events including Poetic Licence, SproutSpoken and WOMAD and supported poet and author Hollie McNish on tour.
Chris White is a multiple slam winning poet and theatre maker. He regularly performs at poetry nights and festivals including Tongue Fu and WOMAD.
A former “Bard of Exeter” and “Riddler in Residence” at Exeter Cathedral, he founded Spork! in 2018.
Spork! is a community-led producer of spoken word works.
It holds events in Exeter that feature local talent with line-ups from across the UK and offers a year-round programme of writing and performance workshops and an artist development programme.
Spork! works with community partners ranging from Newcourt Community Centre to Mothers Who Make. It has programmed drag queens, brass bands and rappers as well as spoken-word artists including Buddy Wakefield, Vanessa Kissule and John Hegley.
Spork! Dead Poets Slam will take place at 7pm on Thursday 31 October 2024 at Exeter Phoenix.
The event is suitable for audiences aged 12 years and over.
Tickets cost £9, or £5 for concessions, and are available from the Exeter Phoenix website
