The Poetry Exchange explores the idea of poems as friends
Boyington Court Farm, Swingfield, Dover, Kent +44(0)7854 426247
VISIT websiteThe Poetry Exchange explores the idea of poems as friends. Through conversations, events and our podcast, we capture the insights of readers and share them. We work with poets, actors and artists to explore poems and what they mean to us.
VISIT websiteAt the heart of our work is The Poetry Exchange itself - an invitation for people to explore a poem that has been a friend to them, in conversation with The Poetry Exchange team. In return they receive a gift: a bespoke recording of their chosen poem, inspired by the conversation and their thoughts and feelings about the poem. The Poetry Exchange can travel - we deliberately seek out curious, inviting locations in which to run exchanges - from libraries to literature festivals to hotels and railway stations.
The Poetry Exchange podcast shares edited versions of these unique conversations and readings online. The podcast is already reaching hundreds of listeners around the world - from Belfast to Brooklyn, Worthing to Warsaw. Our podcast holds an important place in the online poetry landscape, as a space for listening closely to readers and sharing their voices and perspectives.
Making a space for readers' voices and insights in poetry - The Poetry Exchange is welcoming in a wide range of people's perspectives into a creative conversation about poems and poetry - creating an organic exchange between writers, artists, readers and listeners today.
In-depth, in-person engagement + global, online reach - The Poetry Exchange can take place, simply, in settings around the world, offering a unique experience for individuals involved. At the same time, The Poetry Exchange podcast can share these conversations, freely, with listeners worldwide. In this way we are able to work with partners to create bespoke poetry content and experiences 'on-location', with the possibility of global reach.
We are seeking close collaborations with organisations and artists who have poetry in their hearts, who are interested in exploring new ways of presenting and encountering the artform - creating conversations between writers, readers, listeners and communities.
At this stage, we would like to find close partners with whom we could exchange the practice of The Poetry Exchange, in order to deliver our work outside of the UK and to create associates/teams in other countries, who - over time - could continue to develop and deliver The Poetry Exchange as an international project.
Equally, we are interested in receiving bookings to run The Poetry Exchange as part of international festivals and programmes. As well as individual exchanges and our podcast, we are able to offer a range of 'wrap around' events and activity for audiences - from a 'speed-dating'-style night of conversations and poems, to informal encounters and sharing of poems and in public spaces and venues.
Literature Producer and Manager - John Prebble
Founder and Creative Director - Fiona Lesley Bennett
