For more on the participants, click here.
September 22, 2008
Welcome to the Speechless blog
Posted by Geraldine Collinge
http://speechlesstour.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/geraldine-collinge.jpg
I’m Geraldine, Director of Apples & Snakes. I want to introduce myself properly before you arrive in the UK and meet up with all the artists and team who are working with you on Speechless.
We’d normally start a project with a residential with all the team together sharing ideas and the odd drink or two. Obviously that hasn’t been possible, so in a massive leap of imaginations let’s try and think of this space as that residential!
I was lucky enough to visit Kuala Lumpur, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City at the start of this project and to meet Sunitha, Tram and many artists. Since then I’ve been plotting with Sinead, Sunitha, Francesca and others here about ways that we could bring some artists to the UK so that we can introduce you to more UK artists and audiences and make more longer-term connections. For me the live events are important but the networking, masterclasses and participation programmes will be essential.
One of the things that I’m really interested in is languages, how we use them, how they stop being used and how they relate to our belonging. I come from Yorkshire in the north of England and as much as my language is English I sometimes use words that most other Londoners don’t and those words feel as if they come from the language of my ancestors. London is often quoted as being a place where over 300 languages are spoken and you’ll no doubt hear many different tongues when you are here. Somewhere like Stockton on Tees, where you’ll also visit, is part of a region that has its own proud identity, communicated in its language. I’m fascinated to see how you find each place and how the different artists and audiences respond to your work. Your relationship with the UK through our language interests me and obviously that is informed by this being a British Council collaboration.
These were some of my starting points when thinking about the project and were part of the desire to encourage you to use other languages if you speak them and not to feel restricted to ‘Queen’s English’, it’s not a language I speak.
I also had chats to artists while I was in Malaysia and Vietnam about getting permissions for performances and the difficulties presented putting on spoken word events. This re-inspired me about the important political role that spoken word artists have played and it led me to wonder if the fact that anyone can step onto the stage in the UK is one reason why the artists have come from so many different backgrounds and speak with a diversity of voices. Performance poetry gives people a voice in the UK and this is something that I wanted Speechless to examine and celebrate.
It then took some time for these ideas to come together with all the partners and importantly for the Arts Council to put money into them. For some reason this part of the process always seems to take a long time and then suddenly the events are about to happen.
So here we are, I can’t quite believe that you are all going to arrive next week and am really looking forward to meeting everyone.I’ve been enjoying reading everyone’s drafts and seeing the work develop with Mike and Francesca’s feedback and I can’t wait to see it on stage.
There’s lots of excitement here in the poetry community about your arrival and people are keen to get to know you. October is often the busiest month of the year for poets and your first show is in fact on National Poetry Day.
I know some of you are talking to each other on Facebook and no doubt on email and I was thinking that it would be great if we could start to blog work and thoughts on this site so that you were all more familiar with each other before the residency starts. As we are going to create this show in a relatively short length of time the better we know each other’s work beforehand the easier it will be.
This wasn’t quite the short introduction that I’d intended but hope it gives some context for the project, maybe answers some of your questions and probably prompts lots more. Look forward to debating those over the next month or so.
October 2, 2008
nearly there
Posted by Gerry from applesandsnakes
I’m really looking forward to meeting everyone over the next few days. Phuong and Siege are here now and everyone else arrives shortly. On Friday night we can have some drinks together at the Albany and then we can all go to see Brotha Story Sista Tale.
October 3, 2008
Testing, one, two…
Posted by jsamlarose
Greetings all. Not sure how many Speechless people are lurking around these pages and posts, but I thought I’d pipe up (as commanded by Geraldine) and add my voice to the mix. To get a ball rolling (so to speak) here’s an extract from the material I’ve been writing from the project:
Before the end of this lesson, the girl that lacks patience to raise her hand before speaking, will compare herself to a broken slot machine
in the basement of a pub, faulty, inside out and forgotten in the widening fissure between her parents.
The boy with the table for a face will write of depression in a black and beautiful light, detailing a warm,
dark pool that whispers your name, or a thick woollen coat that wears you and zippers you up. I’ll scribe
for the boy that won’t write, ask questions and write his answers down, cherish the look on his face when I read back his words,
and see a clean, unarguable light behind his eyes, how he’s never heard himself sound like this before, and never thought it could sound so good.
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Looking forward to catching up with everyone in the next day or so…
October 17, 2008
Team Speechless Goes to See 'Rap Canterbury Tales'
Posted by Siege Malvar under Speechless Off-Stage
Team Speechless went to see Baba Brinkman perform his Rap Canterbury Tales. I think it was an amazing show that played with the politics of language and literature, and Baba brillianty interpreted Chaucer’s sly, dark, albeit a bit preachy, morality tales. Now I wanna read more Chaucer.
Word of wisdom from Baba: Two words that make a happy relationship–Yes, Dear.
Brilliant.
October 17, 2008
Updates on the Speechless Blog
Posted by Siege Malvar under announcement
Hi, everyone! It’s me Siege.
Are you new to this blog? If you’re a writer, a reader, an artist, or just someone who’s looking for porn but ended up strangely enough reading this blog, then feel free to leave us your comments, and suggestions. If you wanna be linked to this blog, leave your name and URL, and we’ll give you some links-luv.
October 17, 2008
Team Speechless is in Cheltenham
Posted by Siege Malvar under Speechless Off-Stage
After a series of events bordering on slapstick and extreme sports, Team Speechless (and our tons of luggage) finally arrived in Cheltenham.
'We’re a travelling circus,' I hastily explained to the crowd that was slowly gathering around our little troop.
Lovely place, Cheltenham. I went with Pooja and Priya to the Town Centre. We took the bus. We were the only people there not on a senior citizen’s pension. It was a bizaare bus ride.
Anyway, the three of us found an amazing Second Hand Bookshop especiallizing in children’s books. Pooja went bonkers with all the Enid Blyton books, and Priya found some interesting stuff as well. They have signed first editions I fancy, but couldn’t really afford. I think I better buy my books in the Philippines and sign them myself. (Fact: I used to “autograph” my paperbacks in high school. I consider faking the signature of my favorite authors within the realm of the sane and the rational.)
Then we had a little picnic. I call it The Litte Homeless Asians Eating on the Streets Picnic. Walking down the street, we splurged on olives, cheese, fudge, and bread. We would have gotten wine, but it was too much work. We chanced upon Sinead who’s on babysitting duty c/o the British Council.
More shopping and a couple of hours later, we went back to the hotel, and we’re now preparing to meet up for dinner. More soon! Stay tuned!!!
October 18, 2008
UK Poetry Podcast is Speechless
Posted by extasiege under announcement
Dominic O’Rourke recently featured some of the Speechless Poets in his show. Listen now @ http://www.ukpoetrypodcast.com
Thanks, Dominic! Cheers!
October 19, 2008
Speechless is Now in Bath
Posted by extasiege under Speechless Off-Stage
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I don’t know why I look oddly possessive of my bag here. Anyway, this is a shot of some of the Speechless Poets shortly before leaving for Bath. That’s a very scenic trashbin behind us, yes. Anyway, we were having fun traipsing around in the autumn leaves to care about the trashbin, so we decided to have a group photo.
We are now in Bath, and we have all fallen in love with the place upon arriving at our very, very lovely accomodations. Oldfields Bed and Breakfast is absolutely wonderful. They have a drawing room so amazing that I couldn’t bear to speak inside it without a proper BBC Costume Drama accent.
'I dare say, dear Priya,'I said, gesturing to the box. 'We do still have a slice of pizza left; perhaps, you wouldn’t mind if I take it?'
We had Domino’s pizza and Coke served in teacups! It was so much fun!
And there was a fireplace. Now, I came from the tropics, and to have an actual blazing fireplace in a drawing room in Bath is the closest I can get to time-travelling. I may have been near some other blazing fireplace, but never in a drawing room, and never in Bath. So, there. My mind is blown away by the fact that I was having Coke in teacups, and Domino’s pizza, in a drawing room. In BATH.
And, oh, the best part is they have wi-fi.
October 19, 2008
Jacob Gives A Short History Lesson
Posted by extasiege under Speechless Off-Stage
Jacob Sam-La Rose, poet, performer, educator, and sometimes photographer, gives the other Speechless poets a brief history lesson, and takes them on a shopping tour in Central London.
October 19, 2008
The Bluecoat, Liverpool - Behind the Scenes
Posted by Siege Malvar under Speechless Off-Stage, Speechless in Action
Here are some random behind-the-scenes photos taken from the Speechless Show at the Bluecoat, Liverpool.
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And of course, we shall never forget that thanks to one of our lovely audience member, the National Anthem of Liverpool from now on shall be The Archers Theme Song.
October 22, 2008
One Less for Speechless
Posted by Siege Malvar under Speechless Off-Stage
Tonight, Speechless takes Stockton via The Point, The Arc.
However, today, we must bid goodbye to Pooja Nansi, poet, educator, and artist from Singapore. Pooja, who delighted audiences from London and Liverpool with her sassy challenges to assumptions based on identity tied with one’s nation, gender, ethnicity and English mastery, will be returning to Singapore where her students have been eagerly waiting for her return.
October 22, 2008
Blogging Live from The Point
Posted by Siege Malvar under Speechless in Action
Hey, everyone! I’m blogging live from The Point here in Stockton-on-Tees. Francesca Beard’s arriving in a few minutes, and we have just gone through a dry run with Jenny and Gerry. Here are some photos taken just a few minutes ago:
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Malika chills while Priya looks on.
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Jacob faces his audience.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v21/extasiege/ukundersiege/IMG_0417.jpg
Yen in the spotlight.
Feel free to leave comments, everyone! Wish us luck for tonight’s show!!!!
October 24, 2008
Priya K.’s Plastic Cup Politics
Posted by Siege Malvar under announcement |
Priya K., Speechless Poet from Malaysia, now blogs @ http://plasticcuppolitics.wordpress.com. Follow her adventures by clicking here.
October 24, 2008
Speechless Meets the Animal Olympics
Posted by Siege Malvar under Speechless Off-Stage, Speechless in Action
Not only is Speechless about cultural exchange, it also turned briefly into an intraspecies exchange as well. Francesca Beard unleashed her portable menagerie when she introduced her Animal Olympics gang to the Speechless Poets at the Green Room of the Nuffield Theatre in Lancaster Uni.
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Francesca Beard and Yen demonstrate how to entertain people while crossing the road. Warning: Cesca and Yen are professionals. Do NOT imitate even when coerced by your mates.
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