Night & Refuge is collaborative poem writing event hosted by Caroline Bergvall and featuring five UK-based poets – Vahni Capildeo, Will Harris, Leo Boix, Nisha Ramayya, and Mays Albaik.
Following a brief set by Caroline, the poets explored themes of the night, of seeking refuge, and share their processes while developing the shared poem. This collaborative process was loosely inspired by the tradition of Renga – an ancient and strict rule-bound Japanese form of collective writing.
Night & Refuge is a project within Bergvall’s ongoing cycle of interdisciplinary perfomances Sonic Atlas, which explores languages in movement and in transfomation through speech, sounds, songwork in a range of performative situations. It began with Ragadawn (2016), staged at daybreak in locations as diverse as Marseille and the Isle of Skye, and continued with Conference of the Birds (2018) a discussion soundwork first presented at Whitstable Biennale 2018.
Hosted by event partners Cement Fields and Counterpoints Arts, and co-hosted by Festival of Hope, Versopolis. This event was made possible with funding from Arts Council England and support from Cement Fields and Counterpoints Arts.
Watch a short film of the event in the Journal.
