Poetry - Grace Nicholls

Instead of joining the throng in debating the pros and cons of regeneration in the Phoenix area, DIALECTIC Community Arts have taken the bull by the horns and decided to reclaim some of the space while the talking rages on, and use it to promote visual and literary art. During Artwave, the Old Market Lane Garage (once home to the Phoenix Iron Works which created the railings for St Paul’s Cathedral) has been home to the Dialectic exhibition of abstract paintings and photography. On Friday, it will expand its brief and link art and literature in an innovative poetry evening which will feature readings from Grace Nichols, Nicki Jackowska and Kay Walton. Commonwealth Prize winning poet, Grace Nichols - originally from Guyana and now living in Lewes- will headline the evening with readings from her so far unpublished series of poems based on Dora Maar – Picasso’s model for his famous ‘Weeping Woman’. She will also read poems influenced by the work of artist Paula Rego and she will talk about the prolific Guyanese artist, Aubrey Williams whose work forms part of the Tate collection. Nichols recently held the post of Poet in Residence at the Tate Gallery and her book ‘Paint me a Poem’ – which features poems inspired by paintings - won the Children’s Poetry Best Single Author Collection last year. Nicki Jackowska, will focus on the work of Paula Rego in her poems and Kay Walton will read poems influenced by her visit to an Aboriginal artistic community in Arnhem Land, Australia. KA