Love poetry and spoken word and like the idea of putting on your own poetry event?
Small poetry nights are a great way to showcase local talent and bring performers and audiences together to enjoy the magic of poetry and performance.
We asked Stoke-on-Trent poet Gabriella Gay for her to how-to-guide on getting your own poetry event off the ground.
1. The Vision
Before finding a venue and booking poets, stop, look a little further into the future. Imagine the type of poetry event you want to create.
Will it be a regular poetry night? A special themed event? Or something celebrating a national day? Do you want an element of competition and active involvement from the audience such as in a ‘poetry slam’, or will your event be a more easy-going affair with an ‘open mic section’? Are you aiming to highlight new poetry voices each month, showcase a poet, attract new audiences, sell-out theatres or simply keep a room laughing?
Be clear what you consider success at the beginning and build towards it.
When creating the vision, it helps to attend and have an awareness of poetry events already happening in your area, as well as those happening further away. This will help to shape the event you want to create. Once you have a clear idea of your event, give it a name that gives audiences a hint of what to expect.
2. The Venue
Find a venue that matches the spirit and size of your event. There are many venues out there that are willing to support new poetry events. Try cafés, theatres, bars, community centres, bookshops and libraries. Ideally use the back room of pubs and bars where there is the least amount of disruption and distraction. If you want to use somewhere bustling and busy, always get a mic. Consider how accessible your venue is. It helps to ask the venue what they expect of the event before finalising any details. Many venues are simply hoping to attract new people.
Think big, but consider building something small, successful and full of energy before booking that large theatre space.
3. The Plan
Plan the event with your audience in mind. How will the event run? How long will it last? How many poets will you invite to read, and how long will each slot be? When will there be a break? Who will host? Will there be an entrance fee, will it be free or pay what you decide?
Although most people at a poetry event are there to be entertained by poetry (or read themselves), consider the audience’s attention span. Resist the urge to cram too much in. Leave enough time for the host to excite the audience, for poets to change over and just in case timings fall a bit behind, which they often do.
Once poets are confirmed, think about how you order the event. Having a range of voices and styles will keep your audience engaged. Headlining poets normally come towards the end of the night and have a longer set time. If you’re a budding poet, it’s fine to plan yourself into the evening, but be prepared to hand over your slot.
4. The Poets
Think of who you would like to read or perform at your event. When looking for poets to headline your evening, networking is key. Recall poets you liked at other poetry nights and ask others who they’ve really enjoyed recently. Ask headlining poets way in advance, preferably by email. Explain the finer details like when and where the event is, how long the set is, whether they can sell books and the specifics of their fee. If they say yes, whoop and ask for a short biography that the host can to use on the night.
You may want to ask other readers beforehand. Be conscious of the diversity of voices, and people you are bringing to the stage. For open mics, if you decide to fill spots before the event, leave a few spots available for those who were unable to sign up online or respond to the call out. Plus, there are always people who find the courage to finally share something on the night.
5. The Invite
Create a clear eye-catching poster or flyer digitally. Put it up in places such as art centres, cafés and libraries. Ask the venue to put the poster up and share it digitally too. Share details and the electronic poster with writing groups, arts organisations and ‘What’s On’ websites. Use all social networking sites to share details of the event. If you’re feeling brave, ask local newspapers to support the event.
Create a Facebook event at least 4 weeks in advance. Use the digital poster design to keep all communication about the event consistent. Encourage participating poets to invite family and friends and share the information with their networks. Be careful not to post too much on Facebook or Twitter, nobody likes to receive 8 posts in a day for the same event. Don’t forget the power of personally inviting people face-to-face.
6. The Music
Consider playing music before the event starts, during the break and at the end. It should be in keeping with the spirit of the event. Music keeps the energy up and makes it a little less awkward for anyone who has come to the event by themselves. It encourages people to feel more comfortable in the space. People can chat a little or sit by themselves and simply listen. Plus, when the music stops, it makes it very clear that the event is about to start.
Depending on the size of your venue, you may or may not want to use a mic. Portable systems are brilliant, just remember to bring a mic stand. For larger venues, it’s great to have a technician. They are wizards who can add lighting, sparkle and the right vibe to your event, stress free.
7. The Beforehand
Arrive early on the day of the event. Ensure your phone is well charged to receive any last-minute messages from those taking part. Staff at a venue may help, but if you can, bring a few people with you to help. They’ll make beforehand tasks such as checking the mic, checking the room lay out, and finding a place to lay out books, much easier.
It’s also good to decide who will collect money if needs be, make introductions, welcome poets, check the location of toilets and fire exits, and put any spare posters on the door outside.
8. The Settling
Plan in time at the beginning of the event for people to arrive, chat and get settled. This also leaves a little time for anyone who might get stuck in traffic.
A member of your beforehand team should welcome poets and guests as they arrive. Each poet should generally know their position in the running order. Remind them how long their slot is. For open mics you may want to leave a slightly longer arrival time so new poets can sign up.
9. The Break
Commit to making people feel welcome. The break in your event is often a great time for meeting new people. Ask the host to encourage people to talk to each other. Avoid poet cliques. Use the time to connect people together, find out how they heard of the event and get informal feedback. Encouraging people to talk to each other will create a warm, welcoming atmosphere at your event that will keep people coming back.
10. The Human Noticeboard
At the end of the event promote forthcoming poetry events. Ideally, you will know when the next event in the programme is, or the date of the next regular event. You might invite audiences to share the details with one friend. This will help to build the audience for any upcoming events. If there is enough time, promote other local poetry events and ask audience members to chip in if they have a poetry event to share.
10 + The Appreciation
Remember to thank people: the poets, the audience, tech, the venue and your beforehand team. If you can’t thank all the poets in person at the event, a quick email or message after is always appreciated. This is a great time ask poets for any feedback too.
Congratulate yourself. Reflect on what went well, and what might need tweaking for the next event. Spend a little time enjoying the unique and empowering rewards of bringing together people for a live poetry event.
Written by
Gabriella Gay
(Image 1 and 2: Jenny Harper Photography. Image 3 and 7: Natalie Willatt)