PORTFOLIO

About

From two completely different sides of the UK, internationally recognised poet S.J. Fowler and myself identified with each other through our experiences of working in the night-time economy. With Steven previously door staff in Newcastle, and myself a bar manager in Newport, in these two completely different cities, we both came to change the direction of our lives and our careers as a direct result of violent intervention. This arrest – this brake that stopped our motion, this detention under authority and law – is the point at which we connected, and the point we wish to explore through this collaborative exercise.

Launching in January 2016, this ambitious collaborative project will begin in Newport, where our initial outcomes will form an exhibition of the poetry and photography for the review of our peers. The work will then be exhibited in April 2016 at The Riverfront Theatre & Arts Centre, Newport, and again in London during July 2016 at the Rich Mix Centre, Shoreditch – a centre of innovation and experimentation, bringing work to new audiences from both inside and outside London.

With the immediate outcome of this proposal being an exhibition to a critical audience, the ultimate aim will be publish the entire collection of work produced towards the end of 2016.

This project is funded through a ‘Research and Development’ grant from Arts Council of Wales, supported by Welsh Government, for which we show our thanks.