I Am Loud Productions have announced the talented line-up for their November showcases. Dedicated to platforming and reviving spoken word poetry in a creative, engaging, and entertaining way, I Am Loud Productions bring the best talent from across the UK to Scotland.
Working to build upon the rich heritage of the Scottish poetry scene, the award-winning poetry collective aims to establish Scotland as the destination for poetry. Showcasing some of the UK’s top spoken word poets, including Harry Baker, I Am Loud Productions platform both emerging and established artists in their endeavor to restore the legacy of spoken word.
Hosted by creative director, poet, performer, and actor Kevin Mclean, with musical accompaniment from Jack Hinks, the Loud Poets nights present unmissable evenings of comedy and heartfelt sets. Starring in both showcases in Edinburgh and Inverness will be Harry Baker, the youngest Poetry World Slam Champion in 2012. Joining him in Edinburgh will be Beth Godfrey, James Kearns, and Jasmine Cooray, before Mark Gallie and local poet Gill Shaw take to the stage with him in Inverness, which will also feature an open mic for local voices.
Joining with Bad Betty Press for their Edinburgh showcase, which will continue the company’s running relationship with Edinburgh’s Storytelling Centre, I Am Loud hope to expand the spoken word network and build a larger community to support future and current artists.
Founded in 2014, I Am Loud Productions began as a monthly poetry night, Loud Poets, with their slam series winning the Best Regular Spoken Word Night award at the 2023 Saboteur Awards and recently being shortlisted for a Creative Edinburgh award. Going on to produce multiple live shows, the team have performed across the UK and around the world at the Edinburgh, Brighton, Prague Fringe festivals, Edinburgh’s Hidden Door Festival and London’s VAULT Festival. The company has also moved into digital and audio production, leading on digital production for several literary festivals including the 2021 Saboteur Award-winning StAnza Poetry Festival, Winchester Poetry Festival and the Scottish International Storytelling Festival. The aim is to push the boundaries of traditional poetry, platforming the best Scottish talent.
Producer Bex Bidgood, comments Scotland has some of the best spoken word poetry in the world. Across our 2023 Live Season, we have been fortunate enough to work with a plethora of poets who write about everything – grief, revolution and change, climate, family, and love. These poems will make you laugh, make you cry, and make you think. It’s no wonder that spoken word is such a varied artform in terms of its content and its performers.
We are delighted to be bringing world slam champion Harry Baker to Inverness in addition to Gill Shaw, and Loud Poets’ own Mark Gallie, who is originally from Elgin. Our Highlands Showcase in Inverness is a bit of a homecoming for him too. We’re grateful that the funding provided by Creative Scotland and the national lottery allows us to travel from Edinburgh to Inverness, to see the performances of poets within these scenes during our open mic.
