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GPS: Global Poetry System

paragraphonline — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 15:38:22 +0000

Finally, a great idea to make poetry accessible and pretty darn cool. It’s called the Global Poetry System, or GPS for short. Founded by Lemn Sissay of Southbank Arts Centre where he is artist-in-residence, GPS is all about finding verse in everyday life.

“[B]e it birthday card verse, statue epitaphs, graffiti or found poetry (that doesn’t realise it’s poetry) —the deal is to put a flag in its location and upload a video, photo, text or audio file to the site’s Google Map. In short, it’s a user-generated world map of poetry.” Lemn Sissay

You can find out more about it here, or read an article in The Times here.

The Guardian and The Times plug Global Poetry System

Trish Thomas — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 11:13:47 +0000

Really nice piece in The Times last week by Southbank Centre Artists in Residence and Poet Lemn Sissay about the Global Poetry System website:

It ain’t where you go, it’s where you’re at. Global positioning system (GPS) is a mere five years old in the UK. Now you can locate where you are, wherever you are, whenever you want. Things move fast, and now GPS represents more than directions. GPS is “Global Poetry System” — a call to action that uses Google Maps to locate the poetry that surrounds us.
Read the full article here

The Guardian recommends Global Poetry System website:

Attempting to make us realise that poetry is a much bigger part of the fabric of our everyday lives than we may at first imagine, the idea behind Global Poetry System is for us to identify verse in the most ordinary of places.
Read the article here

The Guardian and The Times plug Global Poetry System

southbankcentreblogger — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 11:13:47 +0000

Really nice piece in The Times last week by Southbank Centre Artists in Residence and Poet Lemn Sissay about the Global Poetry System website:

The Guardian recommends Global Poetry System website:

Southbank Centre Artist in Residence David Dunkley Gyimah captures preparation for our Adrian Mitchell tribute event

Sam Dub — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:46:20 +0000

New Southbank Centre Artist in Residence David Dunkley Gyimah has just posted a wonderful new video documenting preparations for our tribute to Adrian Mitchell.

Here’s a little background to the video from David’s blog.

Adrian Mitchell famously said of Poetry:
Most people ignore most poetry because most poetry ignores most people

He was a towering figure [Wiki entry], but I won’t pretend to be the expert or anywhere near that on him.

Part of my sojourn as Artist in Residence at the South Bank Centre is to capture what I would call moments and this is a treasured one behind the scenes as family and friends gather.

A tribute show was planned for the evening and with 2 hours to go, Lucy McNab, one of the producers at the South Bank, somehow got me into the rehearsals.

Not that I didn’t want to go, more what would I do, as well as not intrude, as everyone quietly prepared themselves for the evening’s performance.

Sasha who features in the video, very kindly leaned over to me, said hello and then asked what I was doing.

A three minute garbled spiel followed, before she concluded: “lovely!”

I hope this is OK.

Southbank Centre Artist in Residence David Dunkley Gyimah captures preparation for our Adrian Mitchell tribute event

southbankcentreblogger — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:46:20 +0000

New Southbank Centre Artist in Residence David Dunkley Gyimah has just posted a wonderful new video documenting preparations for our tribute to Adrian Mitchell.

Here’s a little background to the video from David’s blog.

Adrian Mitchell famously said of Poetry:
Most people ignore most poetry because most poetry ignores most people

He was a towering figure [Wiki entry], but I won’t pretend to be the expert or anywhere near that on him.

Part of my sojourn as Artist in Residence at the South Bank Centre is to capture what I would call moments and this is a treasured one behind the scenes as family and friends gather.

A tribute show was planned for the evening and with 2 hours to go, Lucy McNab, one of the producers at the South Bank, somehow got me into the rehearsals.

Not that I didn’t want to go, more what would I do, as well as not intrude, as everyone quietly prepared themselves for the evening’s performance.

Sasha who features in the video, very kindly leaned over to me, said hello and then asked what I was doing.

A three minute garbled spiel followed, before she concluded: “lovely!”

I hope this is OK.

Appear on Global Poetry System flyer!

ryan — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 10:23:40 +0000

Global Poetry System is coming up with a new flyer to let people who aren’t already in the know catch up!

: HipHop ChipShop

We will feature the most visually arresting and interesting posts, especially those with stories behind them, or just a funny/enlightening description. So take your camera or other image capturing device with you today, find poetry, upload, and you may find your findings distributed all over!

Appear on Global Poetry System flyer!

southbankcentreblogger — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 10:23:40 +0000

Global Poetry System is coming up with a new flyer to let people who aren’t already in the know catch up!

: HipHop ChipShop

This month's theme: See the World like Ed Ruscha

ryan — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:21:10 +0000

Each month the GPS team will help sharpen your poetic eye by suggesting themes for your GPS posts. This month’s theme is inspired by Ed Ruscha and the 50-year retrospective of his work that is now on show in the Hayward Gallery.

Ed Ruscha: OOF, 1962 (reworked 1963)

Ed Ruscha’s paintings explore the range of associations that come with how a word looks or sounds, and the ambiguous responses that everyday words can evoke. Just as Ed Ruscha began to see common typography as art, so you can begin to see found words as poetry. Familiar or seemingly innocuous words can sometimes appear abstract, with some unintended or mystical meaning. These are the words that form this month’s GPS theme. So find them, map them, and share them!

Here are some GPS posts to help get you in the mood…

Lost: Poster or Poem found by The Scottish Poetry Library’s Ryan Van Winkle

Please Play found by GPS’s Lucy

Abandon Ship found by Tom Chivers

Survival Cache found by Kathleen M. Heideman

The GPS team hope to feature content that catches their eye, so think eye-catching! Often it is the context of the word that is striking or strangely associative. Words in a text sit in context with other words, but a cluster of isolated words can be a ’text’ in itself, and the environment it inhabits becomes its context.

GPS connects these isolated incidents on an online map, and allows photographs of poetry to be uploaded, creating a new kind of virtual text exhibition. Look out for the exhibits!

Global Poetry System is a user generated world map of poetry in partnership with these orgainsations.

This month's theme: See the World like Ed Ruscha

southbankcentreblogger — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:21:10 +0000

Ed Ruscha: OOF, 1962 (reworked 1963)

Here are some GPS posts to help get you in the mood…

Lost: Poster or Poem found by The Scottish Poetry Library’s Ryan Van Winkle

Please Play found by GPS’s Lucy

Abandon Ship found by Tom Chivers

Survival Cache found by Kathleen M. Heideman

GPS connects these isolated incidents on an online map, and allows photographs of poetry to be uploaded, creating a new kind of virtual text exhibition. Look out for the exhibits!

Global Poetry System is a user generated world map of poetry in partnership with these orgainsations.

Northern line 18:52

Joseph Coelho — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 07:20:10 +0000

I sit opposite an ironing board
A black and white ironing board
A female, zebra
Plastic covered ironing board
With hands
Gesturing unmarried hands
Dancing a language in fingers
A syntax of creases.

Joseph Coelho
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Directed and Devised by Jonathon Lloyd
Co-written by Joseph Coelho
Showing until 20^th February
www.polkatheatre.com

“An Invite From The Queen”
A musical in a book
Words by Joseph Coelho
Music by Matthew King
Illustrations by Neil Irish
Narrated by Griff Rhys Jones
Order online
www.hmdt.org.uk

Blogs:
www.poetryjoe.com
www.twitter.com/poetryjoe
www.inbetweenwriting.wordpress.com
www.litandspokensc.wordpress.com

Northern line 18:52

southbankcentreblogger — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 07:20:10 +0000

I sit opposite an ironing board
A black and white ironing board
A female, zebra
Plastic covered ironing board
With hands
Gesturing unmarried hands
Dancing a language in fingers
A syntax of creases.

Joseph Coelho
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Directed and Devised by Jonathon Lloyd
Co-written by Joseph Coelho
Showing until 20^th February
www.polkatheatre.com

Blogs:
www.poetryjoe.com
www.twitter.com/poetryjoe
www.inbetweenwriting.wordpress.com
www.litandspokensc.wordpress.com

District line platform

southbankcentreblogger — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 07:06:54 +0000

A sole shoe
Upturned in rush hour
Was it’s owner running?
Frightened ?
Hurried?
Does she sit now
On her way to upminster
One shoe’d
Avoiding the gaze
Of shoo’d souls
Praying her feet don’t smell
Wondering about rain and broken Bottles.

Joseph Coelho
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Directed and Devised by Jonathon Lloyd
Co-written by Joseph Coelho
Showing until 20^th February
www.polkatheatre.com

Blogs:
www.poetryjoe.com
www.twitter.com/poetryjoe
www.inbetweenwriting.wordpress.com
www.litandspokensc.wordpress.com

District line platform

Joseph Coelho — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 07:06:54 +0000

Joseph Coelho
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Directed and Devised by Jonathon Lloyd
Co-written by Joseph Coelho
Showing until 20^th February
www.polkatheatre.com

Blogs:
www.poetryjoe.com
www.twitter.com/poetryjoe
www.inbetweenwriting.wordpress.com
www.litandspokensc.wordpress.com

Inspired on the piccadilly line

Joseph Coelho — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:13:38 +0000

“I like him he taps he’s good”

He stutters
He toes up the carriages
Citing his wisdom
His mantra of peace and pennies
Tapping out the same tune
With the same half sung lyrics

Moving through the rush hours
Dancing over suits and skirts
Speaking aloud
Speaking loud enough to be heard
But not to be listened to.

Rythms clatter and bleed
Into the chug chug of trains
Embarrased smiles fester on our lips
He leaves and the silence
Unbearable.

Joseph Coelho
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Directed and Devised by Jonathon Lloyd
Co-written by Joseph Coelho
Showing until 20^th February
www.polkatheatre.com

Blogs:
www.poetryjoe.com
www.twitter.com/poetryjoe
www.inbetweenwriting.wordpress.com
www.litandspokensc.wordpress.com

Inspired on the piccadilly line

southbankcentreblogger — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:13:38 +0000

“I like him he taps he’s good”

He stutters
He toes up the carriages
Citing his wisdom
His mantra of peace and pennies
Tapping out the same tune
With the same half sung lyrics

Moving through the rush hours
Dancing over suits and skirts
Speaking aloud
Speaking loud enough to be heard
But not to be listened to.

Rythms clatter and bleed
Into the chug chug of trains
Embarrased smiles fester on our lips
He leaves and the silence
Unbearable.

Joseph Coelho
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Directed and Devised by Jonathon Lloyd
Co-written by Joseph Coelho
Showing until 20^th February
www.polkatheatre.com

Blogs:
www.poetryjoe.com
www.twitter.com/poetryjoe
www.inbetweenwriting.wordpress.com
www.litandspokensc.wordpress.com

Inspired on the picadilly line

southbankcentreblogger — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:32:10 +0000

“She’s younger than my parents”

Creases have not kissed her eyes
Grey has not touched her scalp

She’s more critical than my teachers

Yet wiser
Eyeing us with a raised eyebrow
Everytime our actions threaten to offend.

She’s more fearful than pain
Waking us in the early hours
Sprinkling regret like seeds.

11:05
piccadilly line

Joseph Coelho
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Directed and Devised by Jonathon Lloyd
Co-written by Joseph Coelho
Showing until 20^th February
www.polkatheatre.com

Blogs:
www.poetryjoe.com
www.twitter.com/poetryjoe
www.inbetweenwriting.wordpress.com
www.litandspokensc.wordpress.com

Inspired on the picadilly line

Joseph Coelho — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:32:10 +0000

“She’s younger than my parents”

Creases have not kissed her eyes
Grey has not touched her scalp

She’s more critical than my teachers

Yet wiser
Eyeing us with a raised eyebrow
Everytime our actions threaten to offend.

She’s more fearful than pain
Waking us in the early hours
Sprinkling regret like seeds.

11:05
piccadilly line

Joseph Coelho
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Directed and Devised by Jonathon Lloyd
Co-written by Joseph Coelho
Showing until 20^th February
www.polkatheatre.com

Blogs:
www.poetryjoe.com
www.twitter.com/poetryjoe
www.inbetweenwriting.wordpress.com
www.litandspokensc.wordpress.com

Inspired at London bridge

Joseph Coelho — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:28:09 +0000

“See you soon with baby clothes and stripy tights”

With caps spurting propellers

With scraped knees and snotty noses

With sweetie necklaces and sticky fingers

I’ll see you when I close my eyes
Reminscing the playground
The swings we thought would swing forever.
The childhood we thought would never end.

22:48
London bridge station

Joseph Coelho
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Directed and Devised by Jonathon Lloyd
Co-written by Joseph Coelho
Showing until 20^th February
www.polkatheatre.com

Blogs:
www.poetryjoe.com
www.twitter.com/poetryjoe
www.inbetweenwriting.wordpress.com
www.litandspokensc.wordpress.com

Inspired at London bridge

southbankcentreblogger — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:28:09 +0000

“See you soon with baby clothes and stripy tights”

With caps spurting propellers

With scraped knees and snotty noses

With sweetie necklaces and sticky fingers

I’ll see you when I close my eyes
Reminscing the playground
The swings we thought would swing forever.
The childhood we thought would never end.

22:48
London bridge station

Joseph Coelho
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Directed and Devised by Jonathon Lloyd
Co-written by Joseph Coelho
Showing until 20^th February
www.polkatheatre.com

Blogs:
www.poetryjoe.com
www.twitter.com/poetryjoe
www.inbetweenwriting.wordpress.com
www.litandspokensc.wordpress.com

James from Sacred Heart School tells it like it is

amitgps — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:51:36 +0000

Live poetry is what it’s all about. The inner voice that speaks when you read a poem to yourself can be beautifully contemplative. But hearing poetry read out loud, by a poet who is stood right in front of you, in all their glory, in all their vulnerability, and hearing the meaning in the sounds created by the words, as well as the meaning of the words themselves, will always, for me, beat reading the same poem in a book or anthology…

I think James from Sacred Heart School, London, knows what I’m talking about. Below is an extract from a review he wrote on National Poetry Day Live 2009, an afternoon of poetry readings, read out loud, in the Clore Ballroom…

“The MC’s opened up the event, with two differing styles of poetry, one with a more traditional vibe, the other with a ‘rap’ vibe/rhythm, each with pleasing content to just about everyone in the audience…

…I was surprised, and pleased to see many different poets, reciting different poems, in different styles. Some poets had me in stitches, where others had me engulfed in complex thought. It changed my perspective of what poetry is, not simply the stuff in the Anthology you have to study and annotate, but more the expression of the soul and mind through spoken, rhythmic word…”

Salt Publishing's Campaign to Reinstate Sue Hubbard poem

southbankcentreblogger — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:19:55 +0000

Global Poetry System has learned via Salt Publishing that Sue Hubbard’s poem installation in a tunnel near Waterloo Station has been painted over. This is a real shame and we support Salt’s campaign to bring it back. Sue’s poem, being so near to the Southbank Centre, was an inspiration during the development of the project and we hope to see it back where it belongs. I have posted one word of the poem as a GPS post here – perhaps we can share photos of the rest and post on GPS? Join Salt’s campaign here.

Global Poetry System is a user generated world map of poetry in partnership with these orgainsations.

Salt Publishing's Campaign to Reinstate Sue Hubbard poem

ryan — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:19:55 +0000

Global Poetry System is a user generated world map of poetry in partnership with these orgainsations.

PoetCasting at the Dylan Thomas Festival

dylanthomascentre — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:29:51 +0000

PoetCasting is at the Dylan Thomas Festival – 31 October from 10am to 5pm!

PoetCasting is a poetry podcasting project which works with poets throughout the United Kingdom. The project features published, performance, emerging and established poets reading their own work online and out loud. The project has been live since April 2007. There are currently 507 poems online from 174 individual poets.
PoetCasting is the UK’s foremost poetry podcasting enterprise, and we’re delighted that it’s returning to Swansea with an innovative new literature event, where it will be in residence throughout the day alongside the Lynette Roberts Conference. At last year’s Dylan Thomas Festival, a number of poets were recorded for the project, including Aeronwy Thomas. Come this year and hear the best emerging and established poets writing in the UK today. Hundreds of poems from over 150 poets will be available on iPod Shuffles for you to listen to. All are welcome – whether you are a web wizard, or haven’t even heard of an RSS feed.
To get a flavour of the exciting work PoetCasting does, visit the website at http://www.poetcasting.co.uk

PoetCasting at the Dylan Thomas Festival

southbankcentreblogger — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:29:51 +0000

PoetCasting is at the Dylan Thomas Festival – 31 October from 10am to 5pm!

The Dylan Thomas Festival is underway

southbankcentreblogger — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:41:12 +0000

and it’s been a flying start so far. We opened with readings from Dannie Abse and Peter Finch, two of Wales’ most established and well respected poets. Contrasting in style, both were gripping in their different ways; Abse with his more traditional lyrics, and Finch combining the experimental with the personal. What a hard act to follow – and who better than Cerys Matthews, former Catatonia frontwoman and successful solo artist? Her intimate set at the Dylan Thomas Centre enthralled a sell-out crowd, and her readings of Dylan Thomas’ poetry were some of the best we’ve ever heard. She also read an extract of ‘A Child’s Christmas in Wales’, which was both funny and moving. Afterwards, she signed not only CD cases, but also a T Shirt – and a set of crutches. Only in Swansea, someone was heard to mutter…

Next up is a new one-man Richard Burton show by Gwynne Edwards, starring Rhodri Miles. Burton’s admiration of Dylan is well documented – he made the role of First Voice in ‘Under Milk Wood’ his own, and asked to be buried with a copy of Dylan’s ‘Collected Poems’.

So three days of poetry, music and drama – and that’s just from the audience. Plenty more to come – the festival runs until 9 November, and there’ s events every day. See http://www.dylanthomas.com for the full programme.