Founded in 2008 by local poet Harriet Green, Moving Voices is a poetry and spoken word open mic which celebrates diversity, experimentation and first time performers.
To connect with Moving Voices and see updates please like the Facebook Page here and join the Facebook group here
Let the voices of local poets, storytellers and songsters move and inspire you at this evening of performance poetry and music. Usually held on the last Friday of the month, with a break over summer.
For upcoming dates and locations, please visit our calendar.
Booking is advised – you can book here.
Moving Voices is a space where you can share other songs and poems you’ve written, or ones you like. You are also very welcome to just listen.
For a taste of Moving Voices magic on Youtube, click here.
We welcome performances of around 5 minutes long – whatever moves you and moves the audience, be it words, music or dance. Challenging themes and marginalised voices are common at this open mic!
Special guest artist slots also available if you want to perform for longer – usually one 10 minute and one 20 minute slot, please get in touch if you would like to feature as a special guest.
Moving Voices aims to create an intimate, encouraging space especially for voices that aren’t platformed in mainstream spaces and we particularly welcome LGBTQIA+, disabled, older people, immigrants and folks from the global majority.
Practical details for open mic-ers
Slots are around 5 minutes, we may have agreed a slightly different slot with you to suit your material.
As poetry, spoken word and music is often personal and vulnerable, this event assumes that potentially triggering topics may arise and the audience has been made aware of that.
The event is aimed at an adult audience and adult themes and language often happen, as do controversial topics. We hold space for radical change and are accustomed to hearing less mainstream views, as well as being actively pro-queer, pro-black, anti-state-violence and anti-oppression. Our guideline is to ‘punch up’ and consider the target of any jokes, criticism or satire to ensure that we are not harming those with less privilege than the person performing – in short punching N@z1 jokes are fine, we’ll laugh, small dick jokes are body shaming and transphobic and we won’t.
We aim to platform a variety of voices, however, intolerant views and slurs* will not be tolerated – racism, misogyny, ableism, ageism, homophobia, transphobia, fatphobia, r*pe jokes, jokes about harming children or joking about violence towards animals is not OK. If you’re worried about anything you intend to perform, please just ask and we can talk it through.
*Reclaimed slurs are absolutely allowed, though, go for it.
Timing
Doors open at 7pm and the open mic starts at 7.30pm, with a break around 8.30pm. Special guests usually go on between 9pm and we usually have time for a couple of open micers to return at the end for a quick fire round. Please let us know if you need to get away early to catch a train or any other reason, we’ll sort something out as we can be flexible.
Filming and photography
We live stream and record sections of the evening for our socials and take photographs to share on various platforms. You are welcome to use any of the footage and photos we take of you and your performance, giving us credit where possible. If you don’t wish to be photographed and filmed, please say so at the start of your performance and we will honour your wishes,
