LIVEwire Poetry

As promised, we’re going to be delivering a few small series of poetry writing workshops, alongside our series of live events.

Each led by a different guest facilitator, these sessions will create a safe and supportive space to explore your poetic voice, whether you’re an experienced writer or just want to try something new.

Having first introduced Clevedon and Huddersfield, we’re now introducing a trio of workshops at Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery. These are paired with a series of live events that we’re announcing in Manchester.

The first session takes place from 10am-12pm on Saturday 30 March and will be delivered by Oliver James Lomax. Tickets are available here. They’re Pay As You Feel (£3, £5, £7) and are capped at 12 participants.

Everybody is welcome, but we particularly encourage writers who identify as working-class or as coming from a working-class background.

There’ll also be workshops at Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery on Saturday 27 April and Saturday 25 May at the same time, so save those dates if you’re game! Elsewhere, we’ll be announcing a series online.

Oliver James Lomax

Oliver James Lomax is a poet, educator, and trustee of the Working-Class Movement Library in Salford. He passionately believes in cultural equality and the power of the arts to enable everyone in society to have a voice. 

He has published 5 collections of poetry including The Dandelion Clock (2020) and Burial of the Cameo (2023) – ‘Dammed fine poems, full of emotional resonance and vivid imagery; the world made fresh to the eye and ear.’ – Ian Rankin

Oliver has written poetry for film and television and in 2019 released his first spoken word single described by Tom Robinson (BBC 6 Music) as ‘An unholy hybrid of John Cooper Clarke and Mark E Smith.’ He released his debut album Working-Class Love Poem (Shadrack and Duxbury 2023) which he is currently touring across the UK. His poems are now taught in schools and colleges across Manchester. 

Poems that dance with originality and are tenderly unafraid of love and belonging.

Mark Thomas

Beautifully written poems from a unique voice of integrity and spirit.

Maxine Peake