Image and utterance

Occasionally we ask an experienced poet to share some words of wisdom, advice or inspiration with you. We found poet Bob Ward keen to give us some insight into his use of photography and poetry combined.

Image and utterance – by Bob Ward

‘In both Western and Eastern cultures there is a long tradition of relating text and image on a page. With the advent of digital photography it opened up new ways of exploring the possibilities. For me it allowed for a fusion of two major interests: taking photographs and writing poetry.’

© Bob Ward

‘A frequent remark is that a picture is worth a thousand words. But life isn’t always that simple. I enjoy the trade-off between the two media. While I was thrilled to confront a sea lion in Vancouver aquarium I was aware that it was in captivity and I needed to record that feeling too.’ (CLICK to see photo and poem )

© Bob Ward

‘I am often asked “What comes first, the photo or the poem?” In practice it can work either way, one leading to the other. However, just as a text may have gone through many stages of revision, finding the best photo to complement it can become a minor project in itself. For example, choosing the gravestones in ‘A Glance at the Back’ where the poem appears as a quasi-inscription. In that case the text is added as an overlay to the photo, but elsewhere it seemed better to situate it in a box.’

© Bob Ward

There is potential to endless variations but one’s aim should be to produce a coherent design that does not obtrude the meaning of the piece.

Bob Ward

Bob Ward is a poet and photographer, specialised in the two mediums and is currently a member of the Quaker Arts Network. In 2008 Bob was invited to mount an exhibition at the Wells-next-the-Sea Poetry Festival in Norfolk, after which he was awarded an Associate Membership by the Royal Photographic Society in 2009. Bob published ‘Trusting at Last – a Volume of Bob Ward’s poetry’ in 2011 and contributed to Poets’ Corner’s collection on ‘Displacement: Stories of Hope and Humanity’ in 2015. 

Find more of Bob’s work here: http://www.bobward.org.uk/ 

Are there any other poets who work with photography?

Poet June 2016: Cherry Doyle

Poets’ Corner is pleased to introduce Cherry Doyle as the Poet of the Month June 2016.

During the month of June poet Cherry Doyle will share a collection of her work poems on Poets’ Corner, in which she explores a wide range of experiences from her personal life. Cherry writes: ‘I find poetry is an excellent tool for unlocking those experiences throughout my life that I want to celebrate, mourn or understand in more detail. It is like finding yourself in a jungle and having the route mapped out in words.’

Cherry’s work is directly inspired by her surroundings and the questions she asks herself about the world around her. Cherry explains: ‘I was born in Shrewsbury in the 1980s and had an active and stimulating childhood of holidays and days out among nature and culture, which allowed me to learn about the environments, I spent a lot of time in. As I’ve grown older, I’ve always taken that approach to my surroundings – noticing the detail and asking ‘why is it that way?’ Sadly, life takes its toll, and sometimes when you ask those questions, you get painful answers.’

‘I rediscovered writing in my early twenties, and gravitated towards poetry because of its innate attractiveness. I love to make a poem visually stimulating, with lots of imagery for the reader to feast on. I get a lot of support through my writing group, Blakenhall Writers in Wolverhampton, and various poets and mentors I’ve met through my association with them. They’ve given me the confidence to use my own voice in my journey of self-discovery.’

Poet Kuli Kohli will mentor Cherry and curate her poetry throughout the month. Kuli is pleased to be sharing her skills and knowledge with a poet who is in the same situation she was in herself, being the first aspiring poet to be curated on the platform in May 2015. Kuli is impressed by Cherry’s writing, and thinks many people should enjoy reading Cherry’s work.

Please share your feedback with Cherry throughout the month.

Black Country Tales in the press

The Black Country Bugle writes about the ‘Black Country Tales’ exhibition with Poets’ Corner  poet Elinor Cole (Poets of the Month June 2015 at Poets’ Corner).

‘ (…) when you include a collaboration of Victorian etchings and contemporary poetry alongside the displays of paintings, dinosaurs, fossils and a very fine WWI exhibition, a recipe is formulated to engender the true spirit of Black Country history and tradition.’

Read more: http://www.blackcountrybugle.co.uk/day-dawns-thrum-machines/story-29089159-detail/story.html#ixzz45nNRKTHm

 
Elinor’s poems about the Black Country are being exhibited by Poets’ Corner at Dudley Museum and Art Gallery alongside a series of remarkable etchings by 19th century artist R.S. Chattock. Poets’ Corner is a project by arts charity Leaveners, which aims to showcase and support emerging poets through skills building and exhibition opportunities.

 

Documentary: Poetry on Displacement

Between September 2015 and February 2016 Leaveners ran the project ‘Displacement: Stories of Hope and Humanity’, building upon a collection of poetry at their Poets’ Corner.

Under the curatorship of Pete Stones, 11 poets from around the world published work about their experiences of and with displacement. Refugee women from Restore Befriend responded to the work by exploring themes present in the poems and their own experiences of displacement and created textile prints, which have been exhibited at P Café and the Peace Hub Birmingham, UK (December 2015 – February 2016).

During an art and philosophy event in collaboration with P Café, local community members were invited to respond through inter-cultural dialogue reflecting on the poems and textiles and to discuss topics around community and displacement. See the film here:

DOCUMENTARY: Poetry on Displacement

‘From Pen to Wall’

In celebration of the ‘Black Country Tales’ exhibition, which will open at Dudley Museum and Art Gallery on the 19^th of March, Poets’ Corner will give you a unique insight in the process from poetry writing to a public exhibition. Poet Elinor Cole, who will be exhibiting seven of her poems in the ‘Black Country Tales’ exhibition, will share her story with you throughout the month of March.

Elinor was chosen as the Poet of the Month in June 2015 at Poets’ Corner, and following from that Poets’ Corner has arranged for her to share her work further. Elinor’s poems about the Black Country will be featured alongside etchings about the Black Country industry by 19th century artists by R.S. Chattock.

Chattock

Image. One of the etchings by 19th century artist R.S. Chattock (credits: Dudley Museum and Art Gallery)

Elinor writes: ‘I am thrilled to have been given the opportunity to put my work in the public sphere through the exhibition at Dudley Museum. The process of writing a poem is such an isolated one – just the writer, the research, the notes – that it is very exciting to share my finished work with others. It is not only those with an interest in the Black Country who I am trying to reach through these poems – the joys of childhood, the concern over family and the empathy for others (even for animals), are emotions we all have felt during our lives. I am especially looking forward to seeing my work displayed alongside the evocative etchings of R. S. Chattock, which themselves inspire a whole range of emotions, from desolation to intrigue and admiration.’

Image. Poet Elinor Cole

During the month of March Elinor will give you an insight into her first steps in poetry writing, what it takes to develop yourself as a poet and how she goes about writing a new piece of work. You will also be able to see how the exhibition is being organised and set up. Follow Elinor on @NellieFayeCole and Poets’ Corner @_PoetsCorner for updates.

Join the conversation and let us know your own questions, challenges and successes!

Community in the Modern World

On Tuesday the 8th of December the Philosophy and Art event ‘Community in the Modern World’ took place, organised by Leaveners and P Cafe.

Poetry and art from the Poets’ Corner exhibition ‘Displacement: Stories of Hope and Humanity’ formed the source of inspiration for open conversations about community, refugees, hope and peace.

POETS’ CORNER EXHIBITION

Leaveners and Poets’ Corner introduce their first exhibition ‘Displacement: Stories of Hope and Humanity’.

After publishing the poetry archive on Displacement in September 2015, many artists responded to the Open Call to respond to the poems creatively. A selecting of poems and art work is currently in exhibition at P Cafe, a poetry and philosophy cafe in Stirchley, Birmingham. You can visit the exhibition until Christmas, after which it will travel to the Quaker Peace Hub on Bull Street, Birmingham.

Canvasses of Hope

This September ‘Poets’ Corner’ published the poetry archive on ‘Displacement: Stories of Hope and Humanity’. Following this publication, arts charity Leaveners has started to create different opportunities for artists of all levels to respond to the poetry creatively.

Last Wednesday a group of local refugee women from ‘Restore’ created beautifully colored canvasses with messages of hope. The poems ‘A New Day’, ‘Settling’, ‘On the Move’ and ‘Moving a Country’, together with photos and images related to hope were used as sources of inspiration and conversation, after which the women wrote messages of hope -in their own languages- on the large fabrics.

The canvasses will be included in the exhibition at the P cafe in Stirchley this December (2015). ‘Poets’ Corner’ and Leaveners thank all participants and staff of Restore, Leaveners volunteer Candice, the P Cafe in Stirchley and local artists Jonathan Graney and Dale Hipkiss for making this workshop happen.

Photo credit Candice Smith

Photo credit Jorine Beck

OPEN CALL- Creative responses to ‘Displacement’ poetry

OPEN CALL- Creative responses to ‘Displacement’ poetry

Leaveners invite aspiring and emerging artists to sign up for a creative challenge: To create a new work of visual art in response to a poem published within our online collection ‘Displacement: Stories of Hope and Humanity’. Responding to the current refugee crisis Poets’ Corner recently showcased poetry written in response to this theme, showcasing work written in response to the stories of displaced people, their challenges, and hopes for the future. You can read the published poetry by visiting leavenerspoetscorner.wordpress.com/category/displacement-2/  If your work of visual art is selected it will be featured alongside the poetry in a forthcoming exhibition in December at The P Café, in Stirchley, Birmingham.

If you would like to find out more please email Jorine@leaveners.org.  Please include contact details, why you are interested, which three poems you might like to respond to, and what art form this response might take (e.g. photography, painting, statue, textiles etc). Deadline expressions of interest: November 1st 2015.

‘Poets’ Corner’ is an initiative by Birmingham-based arts charity Leaveners.