Apples and Snakes
{{Short description|British performance poetry organisation}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2014}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Apples and Snakes
| image = Apples_and_Snakes_logo.png
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| formation = 1982. An England-wide organisation since 2002
| type = culture and arts
| status = registered charity
| purpose = To stretch the boundaries of poetry in education and performance, by inspiring participation and giving voice to a diverse range of dynamic spoken word artists
| headquarters = The Albany, Douglas Way, London SE8 4AG
| region_served = England
| membership =
| leader_title = Joint Directors
| leader_name = Lisa Mead and Robert Saunders{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20160214002408/http://applesandsnakesblog.org/blog/a-fond-farewell-from-lucy-crompton-reid applesandsnakesblog.org]}}
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| website = {{url|https://applesandsnakes.org/}}
| remarks =
}}
Apples and Snakes, based at the Albany Theatre in Deptford, south-east London, is an organisation for performance poetry and the spoken word in England.{{cite web | url=http://www.artsprofessional.co.uk/magazine/feature/stake-deptford | title=A stake in Deptford | work=ArtsProfessional | date=11 June 2012 | accessdate=23 February 2015 | author=Barlow, Gavin}}{{Cite book |last=Thompson |first=Russell |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Spoken_Word_in_the_UK/_kEiEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Apples+and+Snakes%22&printsec=frontcover |title=Spoken Word in the UK |date=2021-04-28 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-000-37399-8 |language=en |chapter=Biting Back Against the Fascist Octopus: The story of Apples and Snakes}} It has been described as the main organisation promoting performance poetry in Britain.{{cite news | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/6274634/Standing-up-for-pure-poetry.html | title=Standing up for pure poetry | work=The Daily Telegraph | date=9 October 2009 | accessdate=23 February 2015 | author=Hollingshead, Iain}} Set up in 1982 by a group of poets, the organisation has been "the development ground for many high profile poets and spoken word artists" and others, including John Agard, Jean "Binta" Breeze, Malika Booker, Billy Bragg, Charlie Dark, Inua Ellams, Phill Jupitus, Lemn Sissay, Kae Tempest, Mike Myers, Toby Jones and many more.[http://arconline.co.uk/other/news/apples-and-snakes-turns-30 "Apples and Snakes turns 30"], ARC, Stockton Arts Centre, 15 February 2011.
Run by a board of trustees chaired by Kerry Featherstone,{{cite web | url=http://www.applesandsnakes.org/page/136/Annual+Reports | title=Financial Accounts for 2013/14 | publisher=Apples and Snakes | accessdate=24 February 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129081858/http://www.applesandsnakes.org/page/136/Annual+Reports | archive-date=29 November 2014 | url-status=dead }} Apples and Snakes has been a registered charity since 1986.Registered charity number 294030. {{cite web |url=http://opencharities.org/charities/294030 |title=Apples and Snakes |publisher=Open Charities |accessdate=22 November 2014}} It currently receives more than £400,000 funding annually, as a national portfolio organisation, from Arts Council England.{{cite web|url=http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/funding/browse-regularly-funded-organisations/npo/apples-and-snakes/ |title=Apples and Snakes |publisher=Arts Council England |work=NPOs |accessdate=22 November 2014 |url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129070747/http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/funding/browse-regularly-funded-organisations/npo/apples-and-snakes/ |archivedate=29 November 2014 }}
History
Apples and Snakes was launched in 1982,{{cite web | url=https://albanydeptford.wordpress.com/2014/05/12/resident-organisation-of-the-month-apples-and-snakes/ | title=Resident Organisation of the Month: Apples and Snakes | publisher=Albany Theatre, Deptford | date=12 May 2014 | accessdate=10 March 2015 | author=Bommarito, Megan}} with its first poetry performance, at the Adam's Arms pub in Conway Street in central London.{{cite web | url=http://more.poetrysociety.org.uk/landmark/cdisplay.php?c=London | title=Landmarks in London | publisher=Poetry Society | work=Poetry Landmarks of Britain | date=2003 | accessdate=10 March 2015}} It is currently one of the organisations resident at the Free Word Centre.[https://www.freewordcentre.com/residents/en/ "Reskidents"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222115005/https://www.freewordcentre.com/residents/en/ |date=22 December 2015 }}, Free Word.
In 1984, it organised a poetry performance at Glastonbury Festival and at Elephant Fayre, Cornwall. A Miner’s Benefit concert was organised at the Purcell Room, Southbank Centre, the same year. An Anti-Apartheid benefit was organised at the Southbank in 1985.
In 2001, it organised a performance poetry event on London Buses.{{cite web | url=http://literature.britishcouncil.org/francesca-beard | title=Francesca Beard | publisher=British Council | work=Literature | date=2011 | accessdate=23 February 2015 | author=Naffis-Sahely, André | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150223230243/http://literature.britishcouncil.org/francesca-beard | archive-date=23 February 2015 | url-status=dead }} In 2013, it organised a series of events for young poets on climate change.{{cite web | url=http://www.poetrybooks.co.uk/news/319/cape_farewell_apples_and_snakes_poetry_society_and_rich_mix_present_switch/ | title=Cape Farewell, Apples and Snakes, Poetry Society and Rich Mix present Switch | publisher=Poetry Book Society | work=News | date=26 April 2012 | accessdate=23 February 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150223232232/http://www.poetrybooks.co.uk/news/319/cape_farewell_apples_and_snakes_poetry_society_and_rich_mix_present_switch/ | archive-date=23 February 2015 | url-status=dead}} In conjunction with the National Portrait Gallery and the National Literacy Trust, it organised a series of poetry events designed to complement Picture the Poet, a photographic exhibition that was displayed at the National Portrait Gallery and, in autumn 2014, at Sheffield's Graves Art Gallery.{{cite news | url=http://www.sheffieldtelegraph.co.uk/what-s-on/arts/putting-words-into-pictures-1-6836213 | title=Putting words into pictures | work=Sheffield Telegraph | date=11 September 2014 | accessdate=23 February 2015}}{{cite web | url=http://www.museums-sheffield.org.uk/whats-on/events/2014/11/apples-and-snakes-and-word-life-present-picture-the-poet-live | title=Apples and Snakes & Word Life Present: Picture the Poet Live | publisher="What's On", Museums Sheffield | date=November 2014 | accessdate=23 February 2015}}
Publications
- Apples & Snakes: Raw and Biting Cabaret Poetry published 1984 by Pluto Press, design by Neville Brady. Second edition published 1987.
- Paul Beasley (editor). [https://books.google.com/books?id=BC8eAQAAIAAJ The Popular Front of Contemporary Poetry: Anthology], Apples and Snakes, 1992. {{ISBN|0951888102}}, {{ISBN|9780951888100}}, 239 pp. Published to celebrate Apples and Snakes' 10th anniversary.{{cite web | url=http://www.poetrysociety.org.uk/content/archives/libraries/sixty/ | title=Sixty after sixty | publisher=Poetry Society | accessdate=10 March 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110519164136/http://poetrysociety.org.uk/content/archives/libraries/sixty/ | archive-date=19 May 2011 | url-status=dead}}
In 1993, Black Spring Press published Velocity: The Best of Apples & Snakes, an anthology of works by contemporary poets who had performed for Apples and Snakes.{{cite web | url=https://www.blackspringpress.co.uk/books/velocity.html | title=Velocity: The Best of Apples & Snakes | publisher=Black Spring Press | date=1993 | accessdate=29 December 2014}}
Notes and references
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [https://applesandsnakes.org/ Official website]
- {{cite news | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/authorinterviews/9789892/Is-poetry-the-new-comedy.html | title=Is poetry the new comedy? | work=The Daily Telegraph | date=11 January 2013 | accessdate=23 February 2015 | author=Bowie-Sell, Daisy}} Interview with Russell Thompson, a coordinator for Apples and Snakes
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Category:1982 establishments in England