Upcoming Events
Chop, Dissolve, Burn
What: Rehearsed play reading
When: Wednesday 4th August 2021
Where: Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle and online
Performance Time: 7:30pm
Tickets: Pay What You Feel (booking essential) – tickets available here
Running Time: Approx. 60 mins
Age Recommendation: 12+
Access: BSL interpreted and Captioned
Content warnings: This rehearsed reading contains swearing, adult themes and disability hate crime.
Live Audience: Socially distanced tickets will be available and will sell out fast, audience numbers vary depending on restrictions. This is a rehearsed reading of a new script.
Online Audience: The performance will be live streamed
When disabled and non-disabled worlds collide, the consequences can be serious. Or they can be seriously funny.
Peter and Rose are old Uni mates. Actually, more than mates. 21 years later, their lives converge once again, but for how long? The area around Rose’s flat is teeming with police. There’s been a serious incident. Surely the poor, vulnerable, inspirational disabled people can’t be involved? After a year of shielding, how far will Rose go to have Peter back in her life? What are two disabled people capable of when pushed too far?
Chop, Dissolve, Burn is a black comedy that will have you squirming in your seat. This play relentlessly pokes fun at society’s attitudes towards disability, whilst exposing the terrifying truth about the impacts of inequality on disabled people’s lives.
Be prepared for macabre humour, the absurd, a guide dog with a taste for flesh, and a plant pot.
Written and performed by disabled artists Lisette Auton and Richard Boggie, and based on their lived experience of disability, activism and a desire to change the universe whilst making up grim jokes. This is a rehearsed reading created using NFF’s seed-pot funding for under-represented theatre makers.
Recent Past Events
The River Cycle: A Disability Arts Showcase with Lisette Auton
Part of Durham Book Festival
In a beautiful, startling and mesmeric lyrical dialogue with her brain, the river and the sea, award winning disabled activist, writer and performer Lisette Auton weaves together character and setting to provoke debate and action: 25% of people in the North East are disabled, why do we not take up that cultural space?
‘Writing the Missing – A River Cycle’ is a new film commissioned for Durham Book Festival which came out of New Narratives of the North East, an ambitious project from New Writing North and the North East Culture Partnership. Lisette was given complete creative control to make the film which includes new commissions from disabled artists Bex Bowsher, Sarah Crutwell and Vici Wreford-Sinnott.
With captions, BSL interpretation and audio description embedded from the beginning, this film shows the power of disability arts; that access is a right, a right which leads to creative freedom, innovation and wonder.
Premiered Saturday 10th September 2020 – 5.00pm-5.45pm
Online
You can watch it for free here
Access – subtitled, captioned and creatively audio described
Little Cog Staging Our Futures Showcase
Celebratory launch party of the work commissioned by Little Cog for the Staging Our Futures commissions.
November 1st
5pm – 6.30pm
Online. Free tickets must be booked in advance here.
Accessibility – captions and BSL interpreted.
Hark! The Sound of Stories
Performing a reading as a part of this online event from Tracks Darlington, blending music and story.
Sunday October 11th 2020
FREE – donations welcome
Deer Shed Festival
Performing a family friendly spoken word set on the Buckends stage. Poetry session is 5.00pm – 6.30pm
Saturday 25th July – 5.30pm CANCELLED
Festival tickets available HERE
Baldersby Park, Topcliffe, North Yorkshire
Access information is available HERE
[ONLINE] Open Courtauld Hour: The Art of Feasting
Performing a commissioned new poem based on work in the Courtauld Institute of Art’s collection as part of their series of digital open hour events. It gives attendees the chance to access, engage and read art and art history through a different lens— revamping and rethinking art historical discussions through food, pubs and poetry. These episodes will platform new perspectives, new ways into art practice, looking at art and reading its history through themes that impact us all.
Thursday 18th June – 8.05pm-9.05pm
FREE but booking is essential via this link
Young Writers’ Day: Writing mystery with New Writing North Young Writers
I’m running a poetry workshop suitable for 12-19 year olds, as part of a writing day of mystery which forms part of The Word’s Write Festival.
Work with Lisette to develop some poems on a whole range of mysterious themes. With creative prompts and friendly advice Lisette will have you writing in no time!
Saturday 23rd May CANCELLED
Full session – 10.30am – 3.30pm
Poetry workshop – 10.30am -11.30am
FREE
The Word, National Centre for the Written Word, Market Place, South Shields, NE33 1JF
All the details you need are in the link above, including access info.
Belonging Exhibition at The Dorman Museum, Middlesbrough
An extended exhibition of paintings by David Watson. I was commissioned as one of four poets and spoken word artists to create a piece of work around the theme of Belonging. To do this I worked with Creative Age at MIMA. The commissioned piece is part of the exhibition.
Exhibition runs 8th February – 19th April CANCELLED
Open Tuesday – Sunday, 10.30am – 3.30pm
Free entry and accessible building – info available HERE
The Dorman Museum, Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough, TS5 6LA
Vital Xposure – Medicine’s Monstrous Daughters
Well that didn’t go according to plan… I’m so very sad we didn’t get to show the world the incredible piece of work the whole team made. I hope we get to come together again, I hope we stay safe, I hope the venues and staff and freelancers are all okay.
Julie McNamara, artistic director of Vital Xposure, wrote about the rehearsal process, it feels even more important now that this testament to this important piece of work is read. LINK TO ARTICLE HERE.
Playing the role of Mad Mary on national tour.
Two plays by Julie McNamara and Omikemi. Directed by Penelope Freeman. Different women. Different times. Same system.
Two powerful plays, inspired by real life events, are woven together across time to expose unpalatable truths about the treatment of people deemed ‘different’ or ‘damaged’ and asks how much of our humanity do we lose in search of the cure?
Together, these plays tell some of the untold stories behind medicine’s ‘magical’ gains.
Age recommendation: 14+
CANCELLED
ARC Stockton, Thursday 19th March
Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton, Thursday 26th March
Northern Stage, Newcastle, Wednesday 1st April
The Key, Peterborough, Thursday 2nd April
Bridport Arts Centre, Bridport, Friday 3rd April
The Old Fire Station, Oxford, Thursday 16th April
Canada Water Theatre, The Albany, London, Friday 17th & Saturday 18th April
Featured Artist at Say Owt Slam #24
Guest performer for Say Owt’s first slam of 2020! After 5 years of slams and being Highly Commended in the York Culture Awards, we’re back for another sizzling slam and entering the decade with energy! Invite yer pals! Invite yer parents! Invite yer enemies!
Slots for slam participants will open in January.
Saturday February 1st – 7.30pm – 10.30pm
Tickets £6 in advance, £7 on the door. Available from The Basement.
The Basement, City Screen Picturehouse, 13-17 Coney Street, York, YO1 9QL
ACCESS: The Basement is fully accessible to all. If you have any special requirements please either let The Basement’s management know in advance via cityscreenyork.basement@picturehouses.co.uk,or inform the staff on the door or on the main box office who will be happy to help.
PopUpPoetry Durham
We’re going to be kind, be creative and play with words to begin the year. PopUpPoetry is gorgeous. Come and share your poems. All welcome. It’ll be a free-rolling smorgasbord of loveliness.
“This month’s Third Thursday with PopUpPoetry Durham: Lisette Auton, disabled writer, activist, spoken word artist, theatre maker and creative practitioner.
Come and join us and Lisette, all-round wonderful person and talented grower of creativity. Sparkles guaranteed…”
Thursday 16 January – 6.30pm
FREE
Old Cinema Launderette, 38 Marshall Terrace, Gilesgate Moor, Durham, DH1 2HX
Lisette Auton Does Stuff with Words at Words Weekend
Half hour spoken word set as part of the Words Weekend Festival
Sunday 8th December – 2.15pm
FREE
Sage Gateshead, St Mary’s Square, Gateshead Quays, Gateshead NE8 2JR
Full access statement can be found by clicking on the link above.
I’m Co-Curating a day of MIMA on tour in London Town!
Saturday 23rd November – 12 noon – 6pm
FREE – just turn up, no need to book
202 Hoe Street, Walthamstow, E17 4BS
Art Assembly is a one-day festival brought to you by Art Fund and Waltham Forest to explore how art can make a difference. Join some of the UK’s leading arts organisations actively making a difference to communities. You’ll experience their pioneering projects first-hand – from bread-baking that brings people together, to theatre that breaks down barriers, to art addressing mental health, climate change and more.
A multi-character spoken word performance in the role of The Crip Mistress alongside other disabled artists in a Cabaret of Crip Culture
Wednesday 6th November – 7.00pm
Pay What You Decide – Age 18+ – SOLD OUT – waiting list available by phoning ARC on 01642 525199
ARC, Dovecot Street, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 1LL
Accessible venue and relaxed performance
Supporting the incredible Ralph Dartford at the launch of his book, Recovery Songs.
Thursday 17th October – 7.00pm – 9.00pm
FREE/Pay What You Decide
Slung Low Working Men’s Club, The Holbeck, Leeds, LS11 9QX
Supporting Kate Fox at a wonderful spoken word night curated by Tony Gadd of Gong Fu Poets.
Monday 14th October – 7.30pm
£5.00
Ceddesfeld Hall, Rectory Row, Sedgefield, TS21 2AE
Open Studios in September at Cove Park
As part of my 2019 Early Careers Residency for Literature I will be giving a reading from work that has been written here. There are also open studios – a chance to see the incredible work produced by artists on residency at Cove Park.
Saturday 21st September – Open studios Noon – 4.00pm – Reading 3.00pm
FREE
Cove Park, Peaton Hill, Cove, Argyll and Bute, G84 0PE, Scotland
Gateshead Summer School: In the Frame
Ready for a summer bursting with ideas? New Writing North runs three-day Summer Schools across the North East, where young people aged 12-19 work on exciting creative writing projects with professional writers and artists. It doesn’t matter if you’re an experienced writer or just want to try something new; if you’ve got an interest in creative writing then these Summer Schools are for you. For our first Gateshead Summer School we will be taking inspiration from works of art to create our own film stories! After looking around the Shipley Art Gallery for hidden stories to excite our imagination, we will make our own pieces of spoken word poetry with masterclasses from writers John Challis and Lisette Auton. Then, on the final day, we will use these to have fun making our own short films.
Wednesday 31st July – Friday 2nd August 11.00 am – 4.00pm
FREE – but tickets must be booked here
Shipley Art Gallery, Prince Consort Road, Gateshead, NE8 4JB
Fabulous night of spoken word, music, stories and comedy.
Monday July 29th – 5.30pm – 10.30pm
£3.00
Wheelchair accessible venue with accessible loo.
Station East, Hills Street, Gateshead, NE8 2AN
The Little Shed of Forgotten Dreams at Hartlepool Waterfront Festival
Installation and living museum with activities and events for everyone
Saturday 20th July – Sunday 21st July
FREE – Pay What You Decide Donation
Hartlepool Waterfront, Marina, The Highlight, TS24 0XT
Hartlepool Waterfront Festival
Family friendly spoken word set
Saturday 20th July – 1.30pm – 2.00pm
FREE – Pay What You Decide Donation
Hartlepool Waterfront, Marina, The Highlight, TS24 0XT
York Disabled Writers Group – for SAY OWT
A fun session full of writing exercises, open to anyone identifying as disabled. Suitable for curious beginners to seasoned scribblers.
Sunday 23rd June – 1pm-3pm
FREE – all event info, access info and travel cost help here
York Explore Library and Archive, York Central Library, Library Square, York, YO1 7DS
Poetry Workshops as Poet-in-Residence – Crossing the Tees Book Festival
Sometimes creating a wealth of new material to draw upon is the hardest part of being a poet. This session will show you quick fire exercises to develop new ways of looking at the world and creating new work. You’ll write a wealth of new beginnings within the session, and also take away a unique toolbox of techniques to use at home. This workshop is suitable for someone who has just begun writing poetry or has done so for years.
Multiple dates and venues:
Wed 12th June – 6.30-8.30pm – Community Hub Central, Hartlepool
Sat 15th June – 2-4pm – Acklam Community Hub
Wed 19th June – 2-4pm – Crown Street Library, Darlington
Thurs 20th June – 2-4pm – Redcar Library
£5 – tickets available here or phone ARC Box Office on 01642 525199
Poetry Masterclass as Poet-in-Residence – Crossing the Tees Book Festival
As poets we end up gathering notebooks full of fragments, knowing that they are worthy of our ink, but not quite knowing where they belong. This workshop will use these fragments as our foundation to create new work and introduce new forms and methods to find them a home. Suitable for those who have been playing with words for a while, this workshop will be excellent for those poets seeking to hone their poetry techniques to place in competitions and for publication. Please bring your notebooks!
Monday 10th June – 6pm-8pm
£5 – tickets available here or phone ARC Box Office on 01642 525199
Stockton Library, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 1TU
An Evening with Lisette Auton
Hosting a celebratory night of Disability Arts – quiz open mic, comedy, music, spoken word and poetry. Food and drink inc. licensed bar. BSL Interpreted.
Saturday 1st June – Doors open 7pm – Event begins 8pm
FREE but tickets must be booked in advance here along with all event info
Thought Foundation, Clarity House, Durham Road, Birtley, DH3 2TB
Let’s Discuss Disability
Exhibition of artists exploring disability through creative practice.
Preview Thursday 2nd May – 6pm – 9pm
Exhibition runs 2nd May to 14th June – opening hours see website
Thought Foundation, Clarity House, Durham Road, Birtley, DH3 2TB
Tees Women Poets do Feminist Book Fortnight
Gloria Steinam, Roxane Gay and Frida Kahlo walk into a bookshop… Sisters of TWP collective share original poems written in response to feminist texts
Thursday 9th May – 7pm
Free but places limited. RSVP to books@drakethebookshop.co.uk
DRAKE Bookshop, 27 Silver Street, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 1SX
Mondo Bongo
Poetry, Spoken Word & Music
Saturday 6th April – 7pm-9.30pm
Free
The Bread Bowl Cafe, Queens Road, Richmond, North Yorkshire, DL10 4AE
Poetry Jam
Poetry & Spoken Word
Thursday 4th April – Doors open 7pm. Event 7.30pm-9.40pm
Free
Waddington Street Centre, 3 Waddington Street, Durham City, DH1 4BG
No More Nowt Happens Showcase
Music and Spoken Word
Friday 29th March – 5pm-7pm
Free
Dawdon Youth and Community Centre, Queen Alexandra Road, Seaham, SR7 7NH
Creative Writing Workshop with shared food
February 28th – 3.30pm-7pm
Free – booking essential
Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art, MIMA, Centre Square, Miiddlesbrough, TS1 2AZ
Spoken Word Night
February 26th – 7pm-9pm
£3.00
Black Hall Community Centre, Hesleden Road, Hartlepool, TS27 4LG
Artists Emerge! – for Disability Arts Online
Twitter Q&A for emerging artists – funding, finding your tribe, making it pay…
February 20th – 2pm-4pm
Twitter – #ArtistsEmerge
Launch of EP with Archipelago
Sunday 9th December – 7pm
The Bridge Hotel, Castle Square, Newcastle, NE1 1RQ
Are we in an era post Disability Art?
Panelist at International DaDaFest Liverpool
Monday 3rd December – 11am-1pm
The Bluecoat, School Lane, Liverpool, Merseyside L1 3BX, UK
PopUpPoetry Durham – Third Thursday
Leading a poetry workshop – all welcome
Thursday 18th October – 4.30-6.30pm
Free
St Chad’s College, 18 North Bailey, Durham, DH1 3RH
Lemn Sissay presents Creative Future Literary Awards – part of London Literary Festival
Reading as a prize winning poet
Friday 26th October – 6.45pm
£5.00
Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX
Performance of residency collaboration with Archipelago
Thursday 11th October – 7.30pm-11.00pm
Free
Cobalt Studios, 10-16 Boyd Street, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE2 1AP
Occupation by Pauline Heath produced by Little Cog
Theatre – Movement Facilitator
Wednesday 26th September – 1.30pm & 7.00pm
Pay What You Decide
ARC, Dovecot Street, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 1LL
Arch Remarks
Spoken Word Performance
Monday 24th September – 7.00pm-10.30pm
£3.00
Station East, Hills Street, Gateshead, NE8 2AN
