Testimonials We've heard such wonderful things from our artistic partners over the years. We've collected a few of the nicest, most heartwarming of them below. It has been a true pleasure to work with Poet in the City. They have given me stimulating and varied work and welcomed me into a wonderful artistic family. The team constantly strives to support a broad range of artists with great authenticity and care. I look forward to what they have in store for me next. Keisha Thompson – Poet What a pleasure working with Poet in the City has been. Our recent collaboration on the Collections in Verse project allowed us to deliver an experience unlike anything we have attempted before. The drive, imagination, and skill that Poet in the City brought to the project took our audience development work to a new level. We look forward to building on the connections made and the ideas generated as we look to develop our own creative practice further. Dan Marshall – Sheffield Libraries, Archives & Information Working in partnership with Poet in the City on Hillview Poetic Histories over the last couple of years has been a revelation; opening the eyes and ears of our resident community to new ways of thinking about the value of their home, their personal history, and the telling of their story. The creative journey we have all undertaken has been inspiring, evocative, with surprises along the way, and has led to us continuing our collaboration. With special thanks to Jasmine, who was instrumental in getting the project off the ground; she has been an enthusiastic advocate and facilitator, open to ideas, enabling the project to be very much community led. Catherine Packard – Hillview Residents' Association I thought libraries were meant to be quiet 😂😂. I loved that different cultural events were on several floors. Plenty to see and learn about black people in Leeds over the years and their contribution to Leeds and England. It was thought provoking, fun and it brought back many memories. Audience member at Colonizin' in Reverse – Leeds, 2019 Working with Poet in the City over the years has been generative to my career both in the sense of raising my profile and supporting ideas I wanted to get off the ground but, crucially, it has also been a process of discovery. The Collections in Verse project is a case in point. I would not have delved so much into Old English were it not for this project and, as a result of this new pathway, I have found a new direction in my work which is informed by looking into the etymology of words and the possibilities of such investigations. I'm now incorporating translation from Old English as a part of my work and I have never had a way into it before. Kayo Chingonyi – Poet We have enjoyed an enriching and stimulating partnership with Poet in the City. Poetry in performance has exploded as a genre, with Poet in the City playing a pioneering role in that transformation. When they take on key historical figures such as Dylan Thomas, Sylvia Plath or Emily Dickinson, they introduce diverse voices into the frame, bringing fresh and provocative perspectives on the familiar, recently in a new digital form. These kinds of multi-disciplinary events are popular, but require poetry producers with a multitude of skills both in sector knowledge, marketing and communication, financial acumen and practical, technical know-how. The result is memorable and many-layered poetry events, which blur boundaries and spill into new territory, for which there is clearly an eager audience.Helen Wallace – Artistic Director, Kings Place Having worked closely with Poet in the City on various poetry events, I know that we are aligned in our passion both for reaching new audiences and for giving under-represented voices, particularly those of young people, a platform. St Paul’s Cathedral is thrilled to be partnering with them again, and is equally excited to be collaborating with Westminster Abbey to jointly examine our shared colonial heritage and continued legacies. We know that this will be challenging but we believe that poetry is a perfect vehicle for tackling these kinds of difficult conversations, and we believe that the involvement of young people in them is essential in helping us imagine a more just future. Donna McDowell – St Paul's Cathedral National Producers Programme and Taskforce The National Producers Taskforce is a force for good in our cultural landscape. I programme events at the British Library and have learnt so much from my sessions with the Taskforce, in particular with regard to inclusive recruitment. I am always impressed by the diverse and thoughtful speakers who connect at these important sessions. The focus is emphatically on results, not just having a friendly chat (although it’s very friendly too!). Thank you National Producers Taskforce, I will be bringing my new learning into my upcoming recruitment and team development within the British Library. Bee Rowlatt – British Library The National Producers Taskforce comes at a time when the creative sector and industries are one of the hardest hit and creating the unfortunate situation in which some people are actually questioning its value in society. Our ethos is based on co-creation, so the National Producers Taskforce responds to that as well, bringing together people that have faced challenges and would know what solutions need to be implemented. Poet in the City have been great at involving organisations and people, making space for shared learning/experience and to actively listen to the experiences of the people in the network, leading the discussions and bringing it all together. The organisation brings invaluable knowledge to the table, based on their mission and experience of working with young people. Andreaa Chelaru – Beatfreeks The Poet in the City Producers experience felt unique in the sector as it was the first programme I'd participated in that actually gave us hands-on working insight into the process of producing an event. It was wonderfully balanced in that we were given the space to make our own decisions, with the full knowledge that the Poet in the City team were there to advise and help, so it was an ideal safe environment in which to learn 'on the job'. This was made possible by the team's excellent facilitation and leadership skills and the sense of trust and support as a team that formed in the cohort. Before the programme I wasn't sure if I could succeed in a creative career, but it's given me the confidence to acknowledge that I always did have the capability. The programme also facilitated network-building and meeting new collaborators in the industry, which has enabled me to find further employment and create further opportunities for myself independently as a freelancer. Before the programme, I hadn't thought a freelance creative career would be possible. Arden Fitzroy – Freelance Producer