7pm, 17 November, FisherGate Point, Nottingham
Power Cut is a brand new piece of spoken word theatre created by Poets Off The Endz, the inner city Nottingham poetry collective formed by renowned musician and poet Jah Digga.
The show will have its first public performance on Sunday 17 November at 7pm, at FisherGate Point in Nottingham’s city centre with limited tickets remaining.
Working with The Hustle Collective and Nottingham Poetry Festival, the project has given underrepresented voices an opportunity to create a brand new performance piece from scratch mentored by leading creatives.
Power Cut sees the poets – many who are creating a staged piece for the first time – responding to issues affecting them and their communities to create live art that powerfully reflects real life, addressing issues around equality, cost of living and mental health.
Funded by The Arts Council National Lottery, the multimedia show interweaves visuals and sound with poetry to bring hope and light even in the darkest of times.
Jah Digga, project manager and mentor, said: “Power Cut is bringing people together even in the darkest times. Projects like this are really important because it brings togetherness within our community and it gives people a sense of belonging. It’s a platform where people can be comfortable in expressing their vulnerabilities.”
Featuring poets handpicked for the project, work began in February and has seen each individual grow creatively and in confidence, giving them a body of work to propel them in their future careers.
Davina Songbird, one of the poets, said: “It has been a different and refreshing experience working on Power Cut. To get to know all of the other poets and facilitators this year has been phenomenal. Building friendships and being able to support some whilst gaining valuable insight from others has been my highlight. I have always performed solo or with a backing band so to do something on this scale with a number of artists was daunting at first but they are like family now. I think it’s been great to try out other ways of performing.
“To write to such a brief was challenging at first but the sessions with the facilitators and being able to bounce ideas off each other has been incredibly helpful. I think we will all leave this experience with new friends and a further depth to our artistry. Power Cut is going to be a culmination of months of hard work but also lots of laughter and love. Expect us to bring the energy despite the dark.”
Videographer Jamal Sterrett has created visual pieces for Power Cut that respond to the work of the poets, adding another layer of expression to convey the message.
“Having access to a backdrop on stage gives multiple ways of expressing a message, layered through visual, sound and spoken word and challenges the poets in new innovative ways.
“Power Cut has given people a voice. People are heard and it creates a sense of community. It also highlights and celebrates the rich diverse talent of a city whilst developing new undiscovered talent.”
Future plans include taking Power Cut on tour and developing pieces with collectives in different cities. Poets off the Endz (POTE) is actively looking for opportunities to collaborate with individuals and organisations with a passion for creative writing.
Jah adds: “We are just getting started. This is our first theatre play and we have loved the journey so you can expect loads more from us from showcases and workshops to music, books and mentoring, the whole lot. One love.”
Limited tickets remaining via Gigantic, £10 pp.
https://www.gigantic.com/poets-off-the-endz-tickets
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