Push the Boat Out – Edinburgh’s international poetry festival returned with lots of interesting events across three days, 22nd – 24th November 2024. Links to recordings & radio below.
I participated in two events: Resting as Artists and Disrupting the Narrative…
Resting as Artists
Event passed (22nd November 2024)
Alan Spence, Elspeth Wilson and I had a beautiful, interesting and multi-faceted conversation, sharing our own methods for recognising when we need much needed rest, how we carved out time for it, and how it benefited our practice.
Disrupting the Narrative
Event past: (22nd November 2024)
Scottish Storytelling Centre, Netherbow Theatre
- BSL interpreted
- Captions
Disrupting the Narrative is a theatrical performance of poetry from Edinburgh’s out-going Makar, Hannah Lavery, Jeda Pearl, Shasta Ali, Niall Moorjani, and Alycia Pirmohamed. Freshly set to music by composer, Niroshini Thambar, the poets’ work decolonises Edinburgh’s historic collections and key heritage sites. Together, they illuminate how colonial history has shaped the city, its institutions, and its people.
The performance is accompanied by images from photographer, Kat Gollock, exploring Edinburgh’s physical heritage in tandem with its colonial past. This is an important and powerful piece opening the festival, and asks our audiences: how well do you really know our city?
Part of the Edinburgh 900 anniversary programme.
We – Hannah, Shasta, Niall and me – are excited to have further developed Disrupting the Narrative into a multi-disciplinary theatrical performance, collaborating with Alycia Pirmohamed, Niroshini Thambar and Kat Gollock.
There was a great line-up of poets, workshops, online & in-person + some events broadcast for free on EHFM radio (listen back).
Salena Godden, Raymond Antrobus, Caroline Bird, Ella Frears, Kathleen Jamie, Imtiaz Dharker, Len Pennie, Michael Pedersen, Dean Atta, Josie Giles, Roshni Gallagher, Naomi Shihab Nye; Black history walks with Lisa Williams; plus celebrating Benjamin Zephaniah in collaboration with Qian Zephaniah & Kadija Sesay.
