JAWDANCE hosted an exquisite evening of live performance poetry, featuring twelve emerging Spoken word artists who’ve worked collectively with ‘Poets in the city poets’ cohort to co-create an anthology showcasing their poetic vulnerabilities and authenticity. Each poem featured a Ghazal; exploring the following themes: Racism, Activism, Love, Transphobia, violence against women, friendships, misogyny, nature & creativity.
This creatively insightful zine entitled ‘Beyond The Lines & Beyond The Margins’ encouraged voices of bravery, culture, integrity, transformation & concepts of healing. This zine was Published by Apples & Snakes, edited cover design is by poet ‘AFLO’, and collaboratively designed by Nurio Castro from ‘Writing our legacy’ & MNamug from ‘Aghh! Zine’. Better yet! All funds profited goes towards a local charity! which is a fantastic fusion intertwined. An artist by the name of Curtis Tappenden drew all poets on stage live in action, which gave the night an additional special essence!
The 2026 Cohort performance poets were: Alana-Eli, Billy, Calliope, Em Williams, Gray Taylor, Hema, Jazz, Joe Jones, Kamakshi, Lucy, Sophoenixx Silk-Fyah & AFLO.
The evening started off with the incredible Kareem Parkins Brown, reading several punchy funny quotes from his poetry collection, “Oi not you lot” where we got mesmerised by his two readings ‘Son’ and ‘150 months’.
The next performer highlighted “If flowers can grow through concrete, then so can we” poet Calliope Mermuse took to the stage initially! Starting off with her two poems ‘A heartbreak poem about healing’ & ‘The ghost of your image is still here’… beautifully flowing into our ears “I am still a child (slightly unhealed) and when we play it’s revealed that this child survived to become a very silly mum!” Entilted ‘Mum Ghazal’ from Sophoenixx-silk-Fyah.
Poet Hema shared her favourite personal childhood memories of her grandfather, starting off with “What love is” ending on “Always have more lemons than we need”. ‘Ready or Not Ghazal’ performed by Alana-Eli, explored depths of mentally preparing, showing up before stepping up for ourselves unapologetically.
AFLO the poet lyrics, was poetically effective & dreamy, taking minds on a visually effective journey with her piece “A halo around her head” metaphorically hypnotising poetry creatively describing afro hair such as; “A bouquet in perfect bloom” to describe women of colour witnessing each others beauty “Memorised locs lock eyes”… “We do not know each other but we know each other in a multitude of ways..”, “Knowing that our hands have faced the same trials….touched by greedy hands who did not seek permission”. Tales both mixed and black girls with afro hair texture could warmly & deeply connect to.
The Second half of the performers were equally as richly potent with Gray Taylor’s piece ‘Monkey Ghazal’ & ‘Am I English?’. Poet Em Williams, a sensory poet who equally took us through a reflective playful adventure of their wordplay. All performers featured one too many powerhouse poems & punch lines to name and describe. The night ended with the featured Spokenword artist Keith Jarrett, performing collaborative poems from his new book. Jawdance, Brighton was their first night to remember, with a zine that everyone couldn’t resist from buying. This zine certainly contains brilliance inciting reflections and giggles from both angles. There’s a space for all emotions and feelings to offer resonance, as well as solidarity through universal experiences and mental, spiritual journeying of all wonderful human beings exploring personal to universal afflictions, bliss and embrace.
