A new touring programme of shorts from around the world curated by Marie Craven launches today. Poetry + Video is an hour-long collection of films which surveys diverse contemporary expressions of poetry in video. A wide range of approaches includes: screen adaptations of page poetry, prose poetry, animations, poetry from found text and media, poetic cinema, text-on-screen, and spoken word.

I'm very pleased to say that it includes my film 'Glitter' created with Lucy English for her project 'The Book of Hours', and also a second film from that project: 'Things I found in the Hedge' by Kathryn Darnell.

The premiere screening will be on 4 May, 2019 at Garden Gallery, Murwillumbah, Australia. See the program itinerary for more details, including the outstanding live poets performing on the night. 

Marie says that: "The program is designed to be highly portable, and easily obtainable on request to screening spaces in any location."

The Word Bank of Lost Dialects exhibition at The Word National Centre for the Written Word has had a great response since it opened. It featured on the local news on ITV and the BBC and both Robert and I were filmed. The official opening was attended by VIPs, including Deputy Mayor of South Tyneside Cllr Norman Dick, and the Lord-Lieutenant of Tyne and Wear Mrs Susan Winfield OBE.

But one of the best indicators of a good result for us was the lengthy half-hour conversation that Robert had with a member of the public on the day after it opened - people are really keen to continue to engage with and think about the language that they use and hear. 

The Word Bank of Lost Dialects will be open until 15th September.

See a few more images
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In one of the local papers:
www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/how-gadgies-gannies-sprouters-helping-15765902

The 7th International Video Poetry Festival took place in November in Athens. Three of my films were screened - Blue Flash Flash, Coyote Wedding and Glitter.

A review of the event is now on the Institute for Experimental Arts website and I am pleased and delighted that they have included Glitter among their outstanding video poems of the year.

Atticus Review has been featuring videopoetry for a number of years and at the end of last year launched its first videopoetry contest. It was judged by Marie Craven who selected four winners that were published recently.

Marie has also written about the experience of judging in an article on the Moving Poems site. And I'm delighted to say she chose my film 'Glitter' as one of the runners-up of sorts that she has featured in the article.

Last night Juteback Poetry Film Festival happened in Colorado, USA. Very pleased to say that Coyote Wedding - produced for the Visible Poetry Project with poet Brittani Sonnenberg, was one of the official selections screened.
Just a tad too far to join in this time.

This possibility under wraps for about 6 months... it's been tantalizing waiting for confirmation. But Robert Good and I are now hugely proud to announce that 'A New Dictionary of Art' is now available in Tate Modern.
Thank you to Alison for spotting it out on display and for capturing the images.

Today I pledged support to this wonderful project. Dyana Gravina is the founder of Procreate Project and she and Paola Lucente are tireless in building up projects and support for mothers in art. I have been lucky to have worked with them previously and exhibited my work at Leftovers last year, as well as being part of their online shop.

This is what they are aiming for: 

"Mother House is the world's first affordable artists studio model with integrated childcare, where children are welcomed into the work space. Help us open the next studio in London!"

Find out more and pledge support at SpaceHive - https://www.spacehive.com/mother-house-studios

www.procreateproject.com

Coming up on Saturday - the first in a series of Video Art Film Club events at Leyden Gallery
​Tickets are available from Eventbrite