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Changing Lives with Words
COMMISSIONED WORK
I have undertaken several poetry commissions for Festivals, including Bilborough Arts Festival, Newark and Sherwood Millennium Poetry Festival, and Tapton Lock Festival; for Galleries, including Bank Street Arts, Sheffield and for the opening of Quad, Derby; for Arts Conferences; and, in 2015, for St Martin’s Church Hidden Treasures Heritage Lottery Project – which culminated in my writing of the commissioned book, Hidden Treasures, about the history of the medieval church and creative responses to the restoration of the building.
In 2008, I was commissioned to write the libretto to an oratorio, More Glass Than Wall, about the life of Bess of Hardwick, in collaboration with composer James Redwood. The resulting piece was performed at various venues, including Derby Assembly Rooms and Hardwick Hall, and was shortlisted for a BBC Radio 3 Composer of the Year Award. I also wrote the commissioned book More Glass Than Wall to celebrate the project, working alongside children from six Derbyshire schools.
Other Work
From 2005-7 I wrote ten commissioned poems as Derbyshire Poet Laureate, celebrating different aspects of Derbyshire, published in the book, Laureate Lines, 2007 (see Poetry Publications). These are some images from my time as Laureate – click on them to enlarge them.
A selection of my commissioned poems
Armistice – poem for National Trust to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Armistice.
Let it Roar – commissioned by Junction Arts to celebrate the Procession to the Houses of Parliament to commemorate 100 years of Votes for Women.
At Tapton Festival – commissioned by Tapton Lock Arts Festival.
Vital Valley – poem for Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site and Beth’s Poetry Trail, Belper.
The following poems can be viewed by clicking here:
Home – comissioned by the President of CILIP, Martin Molloy.
Editor's Prayer – comissioned by Derbyshire County Council.
Paper Caper – comissioned by Derbyshire County Council.
The following poem can be viewed by clicking here:
While - commissioned by Derbyshire Arts Development Group to celebrate the breadth and diversity of the arts in Derbyshire.
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