Come and be inspired by the wonderful exhibits in the Ashmolean Museum on Saturday 28th January at 2 o'clock. The theme is Myth and Reality and we'll be focusing on galleries 28, 29, 32 and 33. Each month we respond to what's on show with poems that respond and reflect, question and explore, and sometimes even take a dive off the deep end. Our aim is to stimulate enquiry and celebrate the wealth of creativity across continents and down through the ages. Do join us!
The Ashmolean Museum Beaumont Street Oxford OX1 2PH
Saturday 28th January 2023 2 o'clock
Galleries 28, 29, 32 and 33
Poetry Worth Hearing
Episode 11 of Poetry Worth Hearing is now available on Audible and Apple and Google podcasts or go to kathleen-mcphilemy. Texts and further information on poetryworthhearing.biz. This episode includes Jess Mookherjee reading from two recent collections, Martyn Crucefix talking about poetry he thinks worth reading and new poems from Beth Davyson, Stephen Paul Wren, Pat Winslow, Susanna Houston and Chris Beckett.
Hear Pat being interviewed in the inaugural episode of the monthly podcast Poetry Worth Hearing. She talks about collections she is reading and her first contact with poetry.
Thame Meadow Trail
What an exciting project this was. In 2021, artist Nicola Henshaw asked me to come on board to run some storytelling and storymaking workshops to help the people of Thame to bring local history to life. Collaborating with artists is always fun and the weekend sessions were crammed full of ideas and fascinating anecdotes. Step by step, we pulled together a cast of characters and a time-travelling tale that was hilarious as well as salutary.
Nicola's waymarking sculptures are fabulous. Some are still in progress. In the meantime, I have made a recording of the story that the children and adults created for future generations. If you want to find out about the Thame hoard and what life was like in the stone age and in Tudor times, you can click on the link below. Thame's children took our story one step further with their vision of the future. The future, they reminded us, is in all our hands.
The story will be available via QR codes on the listening posts along the way. A launch is expected later this year.
iID have been asking participants who are self-isolating what makes them smile inside. A group of artists have been commissioned to respond to their answers. You can see the work on iID's website. My poems were inspired by Stephen and Gladys.
There will be a launch on Friday 25th September of all the commissioned work and a chance to meet the iID participants as well as artists and makers. However, the new Covid regulations may well affect this and we may move to a virtual launch as well as recordings.
In the meantime, here is the filmpoem that Gladys inspired. Peter Anderson is a fabulous videographer and it has been an absolute pleasure working with him. Enjoy!