Reflecting on the past 12 months through venues

We are now six months into the year, and it's a fitting moment for reflection. Off The Chest has accomplished a lot in this time and has more in store, including an upcoming event at Deptford Lounge on June 13th and the launch of our first anthology.

What we’re particularly proud of achieving is just how many different spaces we’ve been in. Our mission to create spaces for poetry has led us to many venues in a short span. So without further ado, here’s a retrospective of where we’ve been in the last 12 months!

Lyrical Leeds: Hyde Park Book Club (21/06/2023)

Kicking us off, we remember our first ever event outside London, which took place at Hyde Park Book Club in Leeds. It was a lively night with veteran northerner and beloved poet Matt Abbott and the incredible T.M/O. We were received warmly by an insanely good crowd who held their own on our open mic!

Poetry @ Omnibus: Omnibus Theatre (26/07/2023, 22/02/2024)

A month after Leeds, we were back in London at Omnibus Theatre, following a sellout night with Yomi Sode in 2022. We welcomed Kobi Ayensuo again and featured Gayathiri for the first time. We returned to Omnibus again in 2024 with Elle Dillon-Reams and TS Eliot nominee Jack Carrick-Varty, who entertained us with a humorous poem about his time as a postman.

Poets in the Neighbourhood: All Points East (August 2023)

In 2023, we debuted at a festival baby! All Points East In The Neighbourhood returned us to our roots in East London where we hosted two poetry workshops, drawing in crowds of locals and festivalgoers alike. We capped off our time with a classic open mic night too. Thanks to Repeat Beat Poet and Maddy Accalia for featuring and enhancing the summer night vibes in Victoria Park. Certainly won’t be one we forget soon <3

A Night of Poetry: Rich Mix (07/09/2023)

Our premium event, A Night of Poetry, was grander than ever as we took to Rich Mix’s main stage. Around 100 attendees enjoyed short poetry films, stellar performances from Oshanti Ahmed and Karim Parkins-Brown, and remarkable open mic acts. We also collaborated with Muddy Feet Poetry to film this memorable evening – you can check the videos for yourself on our website.

Off The Chest’s 4th Birthday: Deptford Lounge (26/10/2023)

We celebrated our 4th birthday at Deptford Lounge, a community space managed by our long-time friends at The Albany. It was a joy to commemorate four years of creating spaces for poetry since our inception in an East London café in 2019. We celebrated with an explosive open mic night featuring Tyrone Lewis from Process Productions, Ellie de Satge from Everything, Patrick Evans from WordSoul, and Cia Mangat from Zindabad, who also led a beautiful workshop ahead of the night.

Poetry from Home: Virtual Event for Disability Awareness Month (26/11/2023)

For Disability Awareness Month, we hosted Poetry from Home, a virtual event allowing poets to join from wherever they were based via the power of Zoom. It was meaningful to include those who couldn’t attend in person, and we shared in hearing about disabilities through poems. We featured Simon J Keenan and Rebecca Ferrier, two special poets.

Brighton Bards: Komedia Brighton (07/05/2024)

We ventured out of London again, this time to Brighton, for an event at Komedia Brighton in Ella’s hometown. Performers included Sanah Ahsan and local talents Gramski and Dan Simpson. It was great to be by the sea, and seeing what Brighton had to offer.

Where will we be next?

Join us back at Deptford Lounge on June 13th for Poets in the Lounge, for a more intimate poetry night featuring Jess Murrain and Esme Allman, plus the opportunity to perform on our open mic. Everyone is welcome, and we rely on our supporters to keep us going. So whether you’re a poet or just want to sit in the audience, our spaces are for you.

Have a venue in mind for us? Drop us a line. We love exploring new spaces and bringing poetry to the people!