Today I'm sharing a project really close to my heart, one that's been in the works since early spring. I was asked by the wonderful Glasgow agency Brand Calibre to create a poem and dance to raise awareness of mental health challenges. This year, the Mental Health Foundation's focus was Nature, so in composing and … Continue reading ‘Breathing Space’: New Poetry/Dance Video
Hello everyone! Hope you're keeping cozy as the days draw in. As the year winds down, I have one final live performance, and it's a special one! On Sun, 21st Nov I'm delighted to be sharing the stage with Pete the Temp for a thought-provoking evening of performances and discussion about UK spoken word poetry. … Continue reading Upcoming Show with Pete the Temp!
After 18 months away, 18 months of digital work and Zoom gigs, I am over the moon to be returning to the stage next month! Loud Poets are returning to live events for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in one week! This will be our seventh run at the Fringe and we couldn't be more excited … Continue reading Returning to the Stage: EdFringe 2021
Hello all! A quick post today to share a new poetry video. It's a (hot and humid) nostalgia trip: a well-worn poem of mine based on my summers of farm work as a teen. Almost all of it is true (I nearly crashed a John Deere learning to drive), but some aspects are fictionalised (the … Continue reading New poem: “Farm Hand”
I'm so excited to share a brand new project! Today we at I Am Loud released the first episode of Loud Poets: Happy Hour, our new poetry podcast. Bex Sherwood is producing the show and I'm hosting, plus Kevin Mclean and Mark Gallie are along for the ride taking part in the challenges. What is … Continue reading Launching Loud Poets: Happy Hour!
For the seventh (!!) birthday of I Am Loud Productions, this past couple of weeks we've been sharing poetry by the members of our team. Today we've released a video of one of my poems, performed live at our sixth birthday show last February at the Scottish Storytelling Centre. This was one of my last … Continue reading New Poem: “Brightest”
Ever since I moved to the UK and begin performing and researching spoken word poetry, one of my favourite podcasts has been the Lunar Poetry Podcast. Founded in 2014 by David Turner, the LPP features conversations with and performances from a wide range of UK-based poets, focusing on creative practice and various issues in the … Continue reading Lunar Poetry Podcast Feature
Hello all! A quick post to share some long-anticipated news: after five years I've finally graduated from the University of Strathclyde with my doctorate! As I've shared on this blog before, my PhD focused on authenticity in contemporary UK spoken word poetry. Specifically, I examined the ways in which poets may project authenticity (honesty, originality, … Continue reading PhDone!
Hi all! Quick post today sharing a new poem I wrote and performed earlier this year. As the Loud Poets sixth birthday show (!!) fell on Valentine’s Day, I decided to surprise my partner with this piece. It’s entitled “Holding” and was filmed live at the Scottish Storytelling Centre on 14th Feb. 2020. Enjoy!
Hi folks! Hope you're all doing well. Tomorrow I'm delighted to be guesting on Harry Baker's weekly show 'Something Borrowed'! Harry is a world-famous spoken word artist, specialising in verbal dexterity (his rap and rhyming skills are exquisite) and uplifting lyricism. He often partners with musician Chris Read as duo Harry & Chris (of course!), … Continue reading Upcoming (Insta)Gig! Something Borrowed with Harry Baker
Katie Ailes 