Echoes: Words and Music for a Renewed Charlton House
Echoes, a fundraiser for Charlton House, London, featured Booker Prize winner and Woolwich native Bernardine Evaristo reading from her new memoir Manifesto, alongside poets and spoken word artists Steve Tasane, Mark ‘Mr T’ Thompson, and Isabel White. These remarkable artists united to help Greenwich Heritage in its work to conserve Charlton House for future generations. Supported by musicians Joanne Girdlestone and Malcolm McWatt, over 50 books were sold on the night.
Merry Monodies
To counter the relentless negativity of today's news and to cheer us all up on dark winter days, Merry Monodies was a new departure for us - our first poetry and film event at 20th Century Flicks video lounge in Bristol. We premiered comic poems from 1850 to the present day, followed by the Marx Brothers' classic 'Horse Feathers'. With choc ices, popcorn and drinks, our mental health improved quite a few notches. We may do it again soon.
In Sync
December '21, we put together a new collaboration with the wonderful musicians from Ensemble26. Mark, Steve, Isabel and Barbican Young Poets alumna, Esme Allman joined Ensemble26 regulars Tom Norris, Ellie Fagg and Eleanor Meynell in exploring poetry, spoken word, classical and contemporary music. The event included newly commissioned poetry from the team and Tom Norris's own composition, as well as old favourites - including Astor Piazolla's Oblivion and works by Mendelsohn. Great to be performing live again.
Highlights of the decade so far
Poetry is at the heart of our work - off the page, performed, interpreted in music, sound, art or dance. Alarms & Excursions is proud to break new ground in poetry and spoken word, either by performing our own work or by championing those for whom we have the greatest respect. We prefer to go our own way, especially into uncharted territory. Take a look below at our projects, grounded firmly in poetry...
2024
A busy summer festival, working with Liz Berry and Jo Shepherd was followed by a trip to Morecambe Poetry Festival, to renew acquaintances old and new. October brought us performances for Riot Act! at the Mount Without, Bristol, and a Kertecz Press showcase. BBC Bristol hosted a 20 minute interview with Isabel early November. In December we completed our four seasonal music and poetry extravaganzas, partnering storyteller Michael Loader, wonderful musician Rosemary Yung making a rare visit to the West Country, the inimitable Tom Stockley (aka T.S. Idiot), sharing some of the work from his latest publication Back to the Fuchsia, and with a little help from Melanie Branton. Isabel's poetry is published in the Morecambe festival anthology. The late spring trip to America which began phase one of the four phase American project, has begun to bear fruit. We launched our motorcitysixty poetry competition, due to close in April '25. In December, we were delighted to welcome founder member Cassie Matthews, mounting a concert for Clevedon Music Society.
2023
In the spring, Isabel came third in the Nailsworth slam, hosted by the ever wonderful Sara-Jane Arbury and Elvis McGonagall. She also won third prize in the Wolves Litfest competition. The first fruits of Isabel's collaboration with photographer Jo Shepherd at the Square Club, Bristol in July
Isabel's work continues to be widely published, in the anthology from the very topical Hot Poets team - Liv Torc and Chris Redmond, for the 7th time in Jerry Jazz Musician, and featured on classical music FM station WMNR Fine Arts Radio, a major station in Connecticut, USA.In June, Isabel hosted BBC Wondermentalist Matt Harvey, and former canal laureate Jo Bell with MATT & JO’S SATURDAY NIGHT FLAVAS. Supporting Matt and Jo we featured Bristol based legend Tom (T.S. Idiot) Stockley and Ukrainian poet Jenya ‘Jen’ Korotynska.Choreographer Mel Simpson brought us 'Write, Paint and Draw, a live iteration of Mel's regular online event which brightened our days during lockdown.
2022
As part of Clevedon Literary Festival, on Saturday 11th June we hosted Mark Mr T. Thompson, Steve Tasane and the wonderful and much missed Cynthia Hamilton. Our headliner was Elvis McGonagall, Gie’ing it Laldy as only Elvis can! Isabel won the Rhyme Against the Tide slam in January 2022 and has headlined this year in Wells, Great Yarmouth, Charlton (S E London) and performed in slams in Cheltenham, Ledbury and Stroud. Her work has been published a second time in the Dhaka Review. Mark Thompson published his second collection - More Mixed Messages; he also appeared on prime time television in September. New recordings are out for Davide Stramaglia who wowed audiences recently on Italian television; James Hodgson has been building a studio at Graceland Dagenham while curating Sydenham Arts; Emma O’Rourke had a one woman show in North London; Patricia Hammond has posted that “she is making an appearance in a major film which (she) cannot talk about yet, that is set to be out later this year or early next (all I’ll say is I’m wearing green feathers)” and Sabina Virtosu is soaring to new heights, having qualifed to fly Airbuses as well as small planes.
“I am lost for words in a way that you are clearly not. I feel like I’m opening a box of handcrafted chocolates every time I open your poems. They are exquisite and delicious.”
Creative Multilingualism
An Oxford University Initiative. Building on initial contacts with Lancaster & Sussex Universites, we were privileged to present at this conference in Birmingham City University over the weekend of 1st and 2nd February 2019, with a thought-provoking piece on the state of poetry on page and stage in the UK today. Find out more about this fascinating project by following the link here.
Wash House Poets
Alarms & Excursions founder Isabel curated the only monthly poetry & spoken word performance event in the City of London since the 1970s. This was presented in the former public baths at the St Bride Foundation. Wash House brought you the cream of the performance circuit, as well as exciting newcomers and the odd interloper. We hosted John Hegley, Michael Horowitz, Daljit Nagra, Jessie Pie, Phoebe Stuckes, Dudley Sutton, Tim Wells & many, many more. Find out who else by clicking on the programme link below.
Jah Burns - Loud up dis gone puddin!
Not many people know that starving poet Robert Burns signed up for a job as bookkeeper on a plantation in Jamaica in 1786. He did not go in the end, but stayed to become a champion of underdogs everywhere - our kind of guy! (With two events under our belts, over 80 people turned up for Jah Burns - bekilted Colin from Guyana, Juan Pablo from Chile, Ida from Italy, our attentive Romanian waiter (thank you - I didn't catch your name - click on the image for the full menu), even people from Bethnal Green for goodness sake! (See the pics in our gallery). After a barnstorming event in January 2016, the 2017 show sold out in 24 hours, this reprised event brought us new audiences...
With our friendly restaurateur Mel Nugent (Blue Mountain Cafe, East Dulwich) stirring the pot, we added a sprinkling of Tam O' Shanter from Alain English (the Scottish guy) Racheal Joseph and Isabel, songs from musician Glenn Bassett and dancing courtesy of the amazing ceilidh band Step Lively! Will ye no come back again? Aye we will! You can see some of the images from both events here.
"A touch of magic at every corner. Tracey and I danced to the end of time and beyond all weekend after that!"
says Gavin
Mike says - "This gig is nuts!"
Marinade of the Ancient Rhymer
Ah harrrr Jim Lad - we've wrecked another Hesperus in St Leonards and Sydenham this summer with our new take on Coleridge's old potboiler, thanks to this 'Motley Crüe'. While some of the regulars are touring, stalwarts Irène, Robin and Isabel are here ably assisted by David Mosey (guitar), Graham Campbell (man in black) and Rosemary Yung (pipa).
Return of the Codfather
As Part of St Leonards Festival 2016, we curated the poetry elements of the programme, including Return of the Codfather, a day by the sea for the fish (our charabanc of poets) leading the Grand Parade, followed by pop up poetry and spoken word all over town.
Find out more...
Residencies and Workshops
A key component of Flotsam were the workshops run by Will and Steve, the fruits of which were demonstrated at our main event in the Turner Contemporary in Margate. 2018 brought us a chance to build on the workshops we ran the previous year at Sydenham School, Sydenham High School, The New Generation Leisure Centre and the Riverhouse Arts Centre in Walton on Thames. Isabel ran the first of this year's programmes as part of the Spring Margate Bookie Festival, working with a dozen young people at the Turner Contemporary in Margate. (More workshops followed in Sydenham in 2019).
Previous residencies include:
First Stop Darlington, a charity supporting young people who were homeless, substance abusers or with mental health problems. We worked with the service users and local photographer Helen Shannon on a major exhibition to mark the 10th anniversary of the charity.
Brendoncare, an old people’s charity based in the western home counties. We ran workshops and readings encouraging residents to tell their stories using poetry, spoken word and storytelling.
We have also run short residencies for the St Bride Foundation (2013), Urban Photofest (2015), Sydenham Arts (2017), St Leonards Festival (2016/17) and Platform 7 (2009 to date in Margate, Brockley, Catford, City of London...)
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