Shop Online
Join us on:
Get Twitter updates via SMS by texting "follow BellinghamHer" to 86444 in the United Kingdom only. Charges may apply... see Twitter's T&Cs for details.
POETRY AND MORE
PREVIOUS EVENTS
POETRY AND MUSIC
See Programme Here (.PDF opens in new window)
Sunday 7 August 2011 at 2.30 pm: Poet Pippa Little and Fiddler Rachel Pearson in 'LOVE and CONFLICT, FEAR and DELIGHT'. Pippa will read from her collection 'FORAY - Border Reiver Women' and Rachel will respond with traditional tunes from the Borders. This event is part-sponsored by Northumberland National Park Authority. NB: originally scheduled for 17 July.
Border Song (an exhibition by Linda France and Kim Lewis)
Monday 20 September to Friday 29 October 2010
After combining poems and prints in Flying, last year (2009) Linda France and Kim Lewis received a VARC (Visual Arts in Rural Communities) grant to work on a from-scratch collaboration. Together they have created an exciting new version of the Song of Songs, set in the North Tyne valley (of Northumberland). It celebrates love of the land, love between two people and love of spirit in a series of images and poems.
The Song of Songs (or Song of Solomon) has provided inspiration for many artists, musicians and writers. Poet Linda France and artist Kim Lewis's collaboration is a creative translation of the Old Testament book re-imagined for the North Tyne. Its well-loved, stirring lyricism is translated to a new location in the wild-weathered landscape of the region. Fresh-minted images and allusions reinterpret the classic text, rooting it in the contemporary setting of a rural community based in a northern valley and its environs.
Border Song was exhibited at the Heritage Centre from 20 September to 29 October 2010. On 7 October, National Poetry Day, Linda led a day's Writing Workshop, related to the show, at the Heritage Centre. Bookings for this were made at the Queen's Hall, Hexham.
Working together has produced a stimulating exchange of ideas between Linda and Kim - as text gave rise to picture, and picture influenced text, a conversation evolved leading them both to enter areas they had not imagined individually but chimed with what they jointly felt. And, much as lyrics and music become more than each other when combined, Border Song reflects the dovetailing of their response.
See this piece from The Journal and this one from the Hexham Courant about Border Song.
Poetry Workshop
Thursday 7 October 2010
Linda France (see above) led a Writing Workshop at the Heritage Centre to celebrate National Poetry Day. Details and bookings from the Queen's Hall, Hexham
PREVIOUS 'POETRY AND MORE' EVENTS
A Poet Comes Striding By Simon Armitage CBE Saturday 10 July 2010
The poet arrived in Bellingham (Northumberland) on Saturday evening, 10 July, where he was hosted by the Heritage Centre and a local family. He gave a poetry reading outdoors. The event was free but he passed around a sock(!). It started at 7.30 p.m. Also performing were some very talented and entertaining local musicians and singers including: Jessica and Martha Carr (fiddle and flute); Donald Clegg (harmonica and 'pomes'); Gwennie Fraser (Northumbrian pipes); Stephen Fry (concertina, melodeon, songs), David McCracken (songs) and Pete Stenhouse, guitarist. The Heritage Centre provided free freshments. 75 people squeezed into the marquee for a thoroughly lively and entertaining evening.
Download the event programme (PDF, 123KB)
Download the event programme (Word, 539KB)
The Poet, the Fiddler and the Border Reivers (Pippa Little and Rachel Pearson)
On Sunday 22 November 2009 at an afternoon soirée, Pippa Little read from her collection 'Foray' about women border reivers. Local fiddler (and artist, administrator, councillor, actor ...) Rachel Pearson responded with traditional and other tunes. See this piece from The Journal (Newcastle-upon-tyne) on 19 November 2009: bellingham.journallive.co.uk/news/poet-explores-role-of-female-border-reivers.html
