Saturday 6th July 2024
In no particular order . .
Spoken Word Bios
Kezzabelle Ambler is curating and hosting the Freestone Speaks '24 Tent. 11th Bard of Northampton, Pushcart Prize Award nominee and published performance poet she playfully weaves her wit, wisdom and humour from her 'Permission To Love Yourself’ collection from her 6th & latest book and audio.
She's passionate to express, connect and encourage others through her 'Weaving Words' creative writing workshops, giving people ‘Permission To Speak’ (her 5th book & audio).
Kezzabelle Ambler
Ash Mandrake
Ash Mandrake travelling minstrel, 1st Bard of Bath, was born in Manchester, the son of immigrants. He's half Polish, a quarter Indian, and a quarter Irish. He holds post graduate degrees in the Biological Sciences and Applied Linguistics. At 40, he stopped drinking and became a self-taught professional musician and milliner, living on the road and touring the UK with his show.
He has kept a journal for more than 40 years and regularly writes prose and poetry which work their way into songs or stories. During the pandemic he designed 8 highly original guitars and now has 10 albums and EPs to his name, a true entertainer.
Marvin Kudzanai
Kudzanai Marvin is a multifaceted spiritual light being with a visionary perspective and expressive nature
From spoken word to poetry, music to creative arts and from graphic design to illustration Marvin is not limited in creative ways to define himself or express his explorations and discoveries.
Marvin shares an introspective journey through a visual perspective... using imagination as a tool and guide to self development or spiritual enlightenment.
Marvin delivers therapeutic art workshops through the enterprise Lemonpop Workshops, providing self development arts programs based on the philosophy that are making is central to healing and wellness improving challenging executive functioning skills, increases self-esteem and stimulates creativity and imagination."
Paul Giffney
Paul Giffney the 10th Bard of Northampton, is a published poet, teacher and personal tutor. He is also a trained celebrant and continues to be a general supporter of the creative world, loving how words can make a difference in many lives.
He currently lives in Northampton with his husband, his cat and a pile of books that do not fit on any shelf. (The books. The cat fits on every shelf).
Chris Matthewman
Chris Matthewman is a spoken-word artist, stand-up, storyteller, and songwritwer.
He has taken his warm, witty wordplay and thoughtful, theatrical storytelling to the Edinburgh Fringe, the Leicester Comedy Festival and a church hall somewhere in Denmark.
Part poet, part punster, part priest, he is equally at home with the silly, the serious and the spiritual, with work touching on themes of meaning, masculinity, movies and the mysteries of the universe and stuff.
He is also a previous Bard of Northampton and Bookie Slam winner, and took first prize in a 1976 Butlins Beautiful Baby Competition.
Word Guerilla
Word Guerrilla is Dave Bowden, delivering his own brand of spoken word poetry within a whirlwind of musicality, beat boxing, rapping, looping expertise and wordplay juggling,. Thought provoking, uplifting and highly entertaining- Word Guerrilla is your new favourite poet!
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Donna Scott
Donna Scott is a multi-talented writer, editor, comedian, podcast presenter, storyteller, actor, and performance poet. She won the first Bard of Northampton competition and has performed her poetry all over the UK. She has performed comedy at Edinburgh Fringe, Brighton Fringe, Leicester Comedy Festival, Everybody’s Reading, and City Festivals. Donna was an Old Comedian of the Year finalist, a BBC New Voices Top 10 finalist, and most recently a Some Antics finalist, and her writing has appeared on BBC’s Newsjack. She is part of the children’s comedy show The Extraordinary Time-Travelling Adventures of Baron Munchausen, which won Best Children’s Show at Greater Manchester Fringe in 2019 and Leicester Comedy Festival in 2020
Carl Peach
Carl Peach, published poet and public speaker, now registered blind, will deliver some of his new pieces, which demonstrate how he sees things more clearly in spite of his visual impairment.
Carl Peach is a published poet and public speaker. He has been writing poetry for the last 15 years. His initial foray into poetry was a process of catharsis following the break up of his marriage. Since then, he has explored other aspects of lived experience, including suicide, cot death, dementia and addiction. Carl is now registered blind and is using poetry and prose to galvanise his positivity, resilience and determination in the mission to walk 10 million steps in 10 months. He has promised to deliver some of his lighter and more humorous material in his performance.
Chuck The Poet
A published poet with a left side look on life and poetry that ends in a punchline.
Under the name of Chuck The Poet , suggesting that poets and poetry are a throw away artwork (it's not) he has published 3 books of sharp, short and witty observational poems. He has performed at various venues and events up and down the country as well as music festivals. He has written several pieces about Corby local celebrities in Kettering and his 2022 pole fair poem was featured on the BBC Look East news programme before the event.
Subjects are mainly based around woodland, bodily functions and unbelievable things witnessed. Chuck likes to wear socks!
