2019: Poem 'Herons' commended in The Poetry Kit's winter poetry competition. Read it here.
Contacted by The British Library Sound Archive and invited to donate some audio samples of poetry and music to their archive. Most of my children's poetry along with some weird music and rude poems has been sent to them for posterity in wav format.
2018: Released 6 track EP of experimental music and poetry set to music, 'Frowned Sounds'
2015: Released 5 track EP of experimental music 'Listen'. Doesn't actually feature any poetry. Hey ho - things change.
2013: Not available for poetry performances; focused instead on electronic musical project 'Tingle In The Netherlands' in partnership with musician Owen J. (Lyrical content unsuitable for a young audience). Released debut album 'Why Can't You Write Something Nice For A Change?' in February and 'Mirror Writing' EP in September.
Publications: Poem 'If You've Nothing To Hide There's Nothing To Fear' in 'Best of Manchester Poets, Volume 3.' Puppywolf March 2013.
2012: Providing workshops and performances in schools for KS1, KS2 & KS3 on a part-time basis.
Competition judge for Well Warrington Network's Creative Writing Competition.
Collaborations with musicians: Pouff and Owen J. NB. Lyrical content is not intended for a young audience.
Guest poet at 'Grrrl Riot - An evening of music, poetry, film and laughs' Manchester.
2011: Working solo providing performances and workshops in poetry, performance and creative writing for Foundation stage, KS1 and KS2.
2010: Took ‘We Are Poets!’ performances and workshops into schools and libraries until summer term.
Resumed performing in schools as a solo artist, autumn term onwards. ('We Are Poets!' no longer available during schools hours.)
Provided Family Arts Day performances and workshops for Sefton Extended Schools team.
Commissioned to write script and performance poem for Wigan Performing Arts Team schools cluster project.
Publications: ‘On Being A White Square’ in 'Best of Manchester Poets, Volume 1.' Puppywolf June 2010.
2009: Took ‘We Are Poets!’ performances and workshops into schools and libraries.
Worked with Sefton Extended Schools Team to roll out Family Arts Days in the Sefton
Other work: Sefton Shining Stars Awards – performance and commissioned poem.
Manchester International Festival, Poetry in St Ann's Square Manchester.
2008: Took ‘We Are Poets!’ performances and workshops into schools, libraries and a giant inflatable peach.
Devised performances and workshops for a Sefton Extended Schools Family Arts Days pilot project. Families wrote and performed poetry together which was then used as a stimulus for them to produce a piece of art. The project’s purpose was to help schools to increase the level of parental participation in school activities, particularly in their role as parents as educators. Following the success of the initial four Family Arts Days, the project was rolled out across more schools between 2008 – 2010.
Publications: A selection of poems from the ‘We Are Poets!’ show published in ‘We Are Poets!’ Anthology,
2007: Took ‘We Are Poets!’ performances and workshops into schools and libraries.
Other work: Cheltenham Literature Festival; Word Up, Cardigan; Ashton Court Festival, Bristol; Bristol Poetry Festival; Poetry and Pints, Leamington Spa.
Publications: ‘Free Market Forces’ published in ‘This poem is sponsored by.’ Corporate Watch's 10 year anniversary anthology.
‘Generation Gap’ published in ‘In Our Own Words: A Generation Defining itself Vol. 7’, MW Enterprises, 2007.
2006: Took ‘We Are Poets!’ performances and workshops into schools and libraries.
Provided tailor made writing and roleplay days for Sefton schools aswell as literacy booster classes for gifted and talented Year 6 pupils with teacher Kate McGann.
Other Work: Mouthtrap Cabaret, Reading; Cheltenham Literature Festival.
Publications: Various poems published in issues 3 & 4 Citizen 32 Magazine.
Assorted poems for Valentine’s Day published in ‘Venue Magazine’ Bristol, 2006.
‘Soda Bread In the Seventies’ published in ‘Taste’, clan-u press, 2006.
2005: Took ‘We Are Poets!’ performances and workshops into schools and libraries.
Other work: The 1st UK Allstars Poetry Slam at The Cheltenham Literature Festival; organised and compered the Warrington heat of the Apples and Snakes / Manchester Poetry Festival ‘Stage to Page’ poetry slam; Lymm Festival creative writing competition judge.
Publications: ‘Nowhere’s Ark’ & Nowhere’s Ark #2’ published in ‘In Our Own Words: A Generation Defining itself Vol. 6’, MW Enterprises.
2004: Devised the performance piece for children entitled, ‘We Are Poets!’ and performed it in numerous schools along with associated workshops, with primary school teacher Kate McGann.
Delivered ‘Press Room’ roleplay and workshop for years 4, 5 and 6 gifted and talented pupils, Holy Spirit Primary School, Netherton.
Other work : Lymm Festival creative writing competition judging panel; Ashton Court Festival; Chorlton Arts Festival; Lymm Festival; ‘Slam at the Spa’, Leamington Spa.
2003: Commissioned to write and perform Lymm Festival celebratory poem.
Co-hosted The Glastonbury Festival Poetry Slam.
Other work : Big Mouth Cabaret, Bristol; X-pressions at The Green Room, Manchester; Ashton Court Festival, Bristol; Glastonbury Festival; The Lymm Festival; Bristol Poetry Festival; Lymm Festival creative writing competition judge.
2002: Culcheth High School, Warrington. National Poetry Day performances and workshops.
Other work: Creatures of The Night Slam, Manchester; ‘Word Up’, Manchester; The Buzz Club, Manchester; ‘Live at The Trades’ Haslingden; The Spotlight Club, Lancaster; Glastonbury Festival; The Ashton Court Festival; Cheltenham Festival of Literature; The Bowery Poetry Club and The New School, New York; The Central Library Manchester; Treasurer and publications officer for Warrington’s co-operative press, Pyramid Press.
Publications: Three poems published in ‘SHORT FUSE: The Global Anthology of New Fusion Poetry’, Rattapallax Press, New York; two poems published in ‘The Hot Wire Slam Anthology’, Pyramid Press, Warrington.
2001: Self published poetry collection: ‘Hopelessness and Other Hobbies’.
Other work: ‘The Brightside’, Leicester; The Blue Cat Café, Stockport; ‘The New Rock ‘n’ Roll’, Hebden Bridge; The Buxton Fringe Festival; Bristol Poetry Festival and The Rossendale Folk Festival. Organised a one off Hot Wire Poetry Slam for The Lymm Festival.
2000: Organised and co-hosted Hot Wire Poetry Slam throughout the year.
Organised and co-hosted the launch of Warrington community press, Pyramid Press, which coincided with The Hot Wire Poetry ‘Grand Slam’. Took on the voluntary role of publications officer for Pyramid Press.
Winner of The Manchester Poetry Festival Slam.
Other work: ‘Live at The Trades’ Haslingden; The Blue Cat Café, Stockport; The Poetry Tent, Glastonbury; Chloe Poems’ ‘The New Rock ’n’ Roll’, Manchester; The South Kensington Festival, London and The Creatures of the Night Slam, Manchester.
1999: Launched and co-hosted The Hot Wire Poetry Slam, Warrington, along with fellow poet Jo Warburton,
Committee member and poetry co-ordinator for the first annual Lymm Festival. Organised poetry events in local pubs.
Guest performer at Manchester Poetry Festival’s ‘Poetry In The Bar’ at The Green Room Manchester.
1997 - 1990: Writer, performer and producer of shows as part of Lancaster University’s Revue Group.This involved writing songs, poems and sketches for the annual revue shows, which were performed at The Nuffield Theatre, and subsequently at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1989 & 1990.
1985: Runner up in ‘She’ Magazine’s National Poetry Competition with ‘Ode to Bad Poetry’.