Please note Dear Listener is on hiatus for the foreseeable future due to the Covid-19 outbreak in the UK.
I will update this page accordingly as the situation develops.
I will update this page accordingly as the situation develops.
Dear Listener is a monthly poetry and spoken word event that I co-ordinate and host in Worcester's city centre. Based at Boston Tea Party (18 Broad Street), for one Thrursday a month the kind-hearted staff throw open their doors for wordsmiths to share their work, their worries and their woes.
I launched Dear Listener on a cold and wet December evening back in 2017. After three years of performing at open mic nights around the West Midlands myself, I finally decided to take the jump and create a new space. The intention with Dear Listener was to create somewhere where writers were welcome to come and discuss anything - and, as many writers have demonstrated over the months, this really does mean anything. Providing you are respectful toward audience members and you're not bringing hate-speech into the performance space, then you're welcome to share as much or as little as you feel comfortable.
On any given day I can talk about Dear Listener until people are sick of hearing about it, but it occurs to me that the best testimonials aren't ones I can give, but ones that come from the regular performers who make this space what it is:
I launched Dear Listener on a cold and wet December evening back in 2017. After three years of performing at open mic nights around the West Midlands myself, I finally decided to take the jump and create a new space. The intention with Dear Listener was to create somewhere where writers were welcome to come and discuss anything - and, as many writers have demonstrated over the months, this really does mean anything. Providing you are respectful toward audience members and you're not bringing hate-speech into the performance space, then you're welcome to share as much or as little as you feel comfortable.
On any given day I can talk about Dear Listener until people are sick of hearing about it, but it occurs to me that the best testimonials aren't ones I can give, but ones that come from the regular performers who make this space what it is:
Dear Listener - the term "safe space" is overused, but this is a genuinely warm and supportive environment, where you feel confident to share, safe in the knowledge that everyone is on your side: Charley, host and poet-herder in chief makes everyone welcome, and gives people the confidence to share and enjoy themselves. - Ade Couper
Dear Listener is a fantastic event with a wonderful host in Charley. It has been instrumental in giving poets the confidence to share their work in a supportive environment - love this event! - Daniel Burton
Dear Listener is a beautiful, warm-hearted evening of poetry and spoken word, with a real focus on community. All performers are made to feel equally valued, and Charley is a fantastic host. The venue is lovely too! - Leanne Moden
I always feel so welcomed whenever I get a chance to get to Dear Listener. It's a friendly, supportive and creatively fun environment to perform in. I've been introduced to certain poets' work that I didn't know a thing about but have really enjoyed hearing what they've got to offer. As a performer, it's one gig I love to do. - Sharon Carr
I'm delighted to announce that we've already confirmed dates for 2020 events with Boston Tea Party, so forthcoming dates are:
March 19, 2020 - Burn The Witch book party!
April 23, 2020 - Headliner TBA
May 21, 2020 - Headliner TBA
Our start time is 6:30pm and we aim to finish between 8:30-8:45pm every month. There is also an entry fee of £3 for each event (with the exception of scratch nights, which are £1 entry), and this money is used to pay headliners throughout the year.
If you have any questions then you're welcome to reach out to me by using the contact form on this website, or you can keep up-to-date with Dear Listener directly through its various social media channels, all of which are available below the photo gallery.
March 19, 2020 - Burn The Witch book party!
April 23, 2020 - Headliner TBA
May 21, 2020 - Headliner TBA
Our start time is 6:30pm and we aim to finish between 8:30-8:45pm every month. There is also an entry fee of £3 for each event (with the exception of scratch nights, which are £1 entry), and this money is used to pay headliners throughout the year.
If you have any questions then you're welcome to reach out to me by using the contact form on this website, or you can keep up-to-date with Dear Listener directly through its various social media channels, all of which are available below the photo gallery.
