Dreading Slam Poetry Group | Richard Stephenson
Guest Name: Richard Stephenson
Guest Bio: Richard Stephenson is a chartered engineer who moved to Reading for work almost 30 years ago. He is now leader of the Dreading Slam poetry group and an integral part of Reading’s creative community.
Dreading Slam social links:
Listen to the episode
Episode time codes
00:25 Welcome
01:05 What Richard likes about Reading
01:51 Richard’s background
02:28 More on the Dreading Slam poetry group
03:46 The benefits of a group structure
04:45 The challenges in leading the group & what has worked
09:01 What has worked for Richard on social media
11:02 Rising Sun Arts centre festival (Here Comes the Sun)
12:50 Why it’s important to publicise a local group
13:19 Richard’s poetry reading (published in Reading Today)
15:30 Background of the poem
16:36 Why is poetry important
18:34 How communication has changed
19:54 How you can get started in poetry
21:09 One key takeaway
Videos
Key takeaways
1. Find a group to help develop your hobby
2. If you’re leading a group you need to keep socials up to date
3. If you are new or have a small following, try and partner with a relevant venue
Episode references
Rising Sun Arts Centre website: https://www.risingsunartscentre.org/
Rising Sun Arts Centre Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/53573862674
Here comes the Sun Festival 2024 (Saturday 10th August 14:00-23:00): https://risingsunartscentre.org/hcts24
Poetry meetings in Reading
Dreading Slam: meets on the first Sunday of every month in the Rising Sun Arts Centre on Silver Street, RG1 2ST
Poetry in the Park: Meets on a Saturday in the middle of the month
Tutus Ethiopian restaurant: a monthly music and open mic night
You can see the meeting dates and times, as well as confirm your attendance for the above events on Meetup:
Arvon: https://www.arvon.org/
Arvon is a charity that runs creative writing courses, events and retreats both in-person and online. Our courses are tutored by leading authors and include a powerful mix of workshops and individual tutorials, with time and space to write, free from distractions of everyday life. Grants and concessions are available to help with course fees.