DRY SEASON - spoken word theatre solo show
In 2019 I was awarded ACE funding to R&D my first spoken word solo show ‘Dry Season‘. I devised and rehearsed with my dramaturge Laura Dannequin at Ashton Court arts mansion as part of my residency with Artspace Lifespace, which was invaluable for expanding the physicality of my work. The R&D was documented by filmmakers Black Bark Films, who also produced the promotional showreel. In 2020, supported by Bristol Ferment and Apples & Snakes I undertook a further period of show development at Bristol Old Vic to create new material and create a finished show.
Dry Season will premiere at Camden People’s Theatre in July 2021 as part of ‘Calm Down, Dear’ festival of feminist theatre.
Their unapologetic words deliver eloquent punches, their poetry challenging audiences to look them straight in the eyes and meet them for who they are. Kat’s performance is compelling and magnetic.
Anita Kelly, theatre reviewer for WestonSupermum, WiP 2019
Effortless blend of humour and poignancy.
Audience feedback, Alma Theatre WiP 2019
This kind of work is desperately needed
Audience feedback, Alma Theatre WiP 2019
SPITFIRE - online live spoken word event
SpitFire Manifesto:
Representation creates integration!
SpitFire is an online, intergenerational poetry event curated to counter the youth-centric nature of much of today’s spoken word scene.
SpitFire aims to provide a platform to amplify the diverse talents, voices and experiences of older women and non-binary artists, and by doing so open up the artform to new audiences and potential performers.
SpitFire seeks to create fertile ground in which cross-generational understanding and conversations can take root and grow.
Ali, Audience member
Brilliant event, one of the best I’ve attended this year. Definitely a need for more older kickass female and enby voices. Would definitely attend again. Thank you.
Anon, audience feedback
‘Amazing, Thankyou so much for creating this platform for such a diverse range of voices. A truly inspiring, heart-warming, fuck yes of an evening. Looking forward to many more, and maybe a live show one day!
Ali, audience feedback
‘Loved it. More more more please!’
Anon, audience feedback.
During 2020 I redeveloped and expanded the overarching Dry Season project to take account of Covid restrictions and make work that was accessible online. These included the online spoken word event SpitFire, which was conceived to amplify the diverse voices and experiences of older women and people of marginalised genders. Though conceived as a one-off event, the first SpitFire was so successful and the audience response so positive that I decided to produce one more.
In future I hope to run a whole series of SpitFire events, as well as associated creative writing workshops to help people unlock their own inner spitfires.
WORKSHOP FACILITATION
Re-writing menopause:
In 2019 I led a workshop inviting participants to creatively explore their feelings around menopause. Through writing exercises and discussion, participants investigated pre-existing narratives of age and gender, co-created joint poems, and collectively re-imagined positive associations.
Thank you Kat, I am determined to investigate my relationship with my body more through writing, and this gave me some great ‘ways in’. Will be coming back to the exercises and working on them.
Anne, workshop participant
Reconnecting with the Body:
Our bodies are often a site of conflict and discontent. Focusing on women’s poetry and experiences, this online workshop used writing exercises and discussion to creatively explore participants’ relationships to their bodies and nurture positivity and reconnection.
This workshop was offered as part of the digital programme of events from project partner Bristol Women’s Voice celebrating International Women’s Day 2021, and was part of the Lyra: Bristol Poetry Festival 2021 program. It was supported by a grant from Arts Council England.
“I thought the workshop was excellent, you were such a welcoming host and your exercises made me see that we can pay attention to the body in small ways.
Suzannah, workshop participant
OTHER RECENT PROJECTS
Duvet Days is a short animated poetry film made in collaboration with artist/animator/theatre-maker Edalia Day. The film explores my lived experience of paranoid anxiety and was created to work as a standalone animation to raise awareness of mental health issues as well as an integrated projection within Dry Season
On the impossibility of perpetual motion was commissioned in 2020 as part of The Arts Institute Covid-19 art fund, which invited 5 artists working in the South West, UK to respond to the provocation ‘Everything has changed. Nothing has changed. Change is coming’. It was presented online in November 2020 as part of The Arts Institute’s 5x5x5 series. It was filmed on a smartphone during the 1st lockdown and the subject explored the claustrophobia, repetition and bored anxiety of lockdown conditions.
DYCP PROJECT MENTORS & CONSULTANTS
Mentor: Joelle Taylor (confirmed)
Joelle is an award-winning poet, playwright, author and editor. She has performed across the UK as well as internationally, both for the British Council and on solo projects across Europe. She is widely anthologised and is the author of 4 poetry collections and 1 book of short stories. She founded Slambassadors, is the host of Outspoken, London’s premier night of poetry and music. Her most recent collection was commissioned by Apples and Snakes for full stage production. I have previously received 2 short mentoring sessions from her and undertaken workshops in queer poetry via Outspoken Press, where she is an editor.
Consultants: exact dates tbc
- Bridget Hart. Session 1. Creating and using podcasts to disseminate poetry. Bridget is co-editor of Burning Eye Books, a Bristol-Based poetry press dedicated to publishing spoken word books. They also produce and host the Burning Eye Podcast.
- Lucy English. Session 2. Using and disseminating poetry film. Lucy is co-director of Lyra: Bristol Poetry Festival, author of 2 novels and a collection, and has a PHD in digital writing/poetry film. She is co-creator of the poetry film organisation Liberated Words.
Jon Seagrave. Session 3. Poetry workshop facilitation techniques for schools, children & young people. Jon is an established poet and performer, has published 2 collections and toured several spoken word shows around the UK. He is an extremely experienced workshop facilitator and works regularly works with schools around the UK
- Caleb Parkin. Session 4. Facilitating writing for wellbeing with community partners. Caleb is the current Bristol City Poet, author of 2 collections and holds an MSc in Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes. He facilitates regular writing for wellbeing workshops for schools, community and cultural partners and at literature festivals.
FURTHER DYCP PROJECT SUPPORT
