• Skip to content
 
  • Log in
  • Contact us
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Spoken Word Archive
35 years
of performance poetry
  • Home
  • About
  • Artists & Shows
  • Our collection
  • Features
  • Get involved
  • Resources
You are here:
Home>Artists & Shows
Search by date
Search by artist
  • Lemn Sissay (95)
  • Jean 'Binta' Breeze (90)
  • Zena Edwards (89)
  • Patience Agbabi (84)
  • Francesca Beard (79)
  • Malika Booker (72)
  • Aoife Mannix (65)
  • El Crisis (61)
  • John Hegley (60)
  • Joolz Denby (56)

All artists

Search by venue
  • Battersea Arts Centre (London - Wandsworth) (499)
  • Covent Garden Community Centre (182)
  • Rich Mix (117)
  • Albany (London - Lewisham) (81)
  • Soho Theatre (68)
  • Nuffield (Southampton) (57)
  • Horseshoe (52)
  • Roebuck (51)
  • Victoria (Birmingham) (51)
  • Barbican (Plymouth) (48)

All venues

Artists & Shows

Thirty-five years of Apples and Snakes poetry shows: a lot of shows, a lot of artists.

There are still a few gaps, but we're gradually uploading details of them all. Search away, using the boxes on the left. You can search by year (maybe you want to trace your first ever Apples and Snakes gig), by artist (from Dirg Aaab-Richards to Zk the Poet) or by venue (what was the name of that place with the really narrow staircase?).

You'll see that there are some artists we don't know much about - maybe they did one gig for us in 1983 - and we'd therefore welcome any information that you might have. Even better, you might be that artist - and we'd be delighted to renew our acquaintance with you.

And if you have details of any A&S shows that seem to be missing, we'd very much like to hear from you. Especially '80s and '90s; the last few years we've got covered (probably).

  • Cecil Rajendra Tour

    Cecil Rajendra Tour

    15 November 1989 at 
    Bretton Hall College (Wakefield) (1)
  • Cecil Rajendra Tour

    Cecil Rajendra Tour

    15 November 1989 at 
    Bradford Community Arts Centre (Bradford) (1)
  • Cecil Rajendra tour

    Cecil Rajendra tour

    17 November 1989 at 
    Morden Tower (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) (1)
    Partnership tour with Bogle-L’Ouverture
  • The Chuffinelles, Betty Spital, Alex Mellor, Ann Ziety

    The Chuffinelles, Betty Spital, Alex Mellor, Ann Ziety

    17 November 1989 at 
    Covent Garden Community Centre (182)
  • Cecil Rajendra tour

    Cecil Rajendra tour

    18 November 1989 at 
    Blackie Arts Centre (Liverpool) (1)
    Partnership tour with Bogle-L’Ouverture
  • Cecil Rajendra tour

    Cecil Rajendra tour

    21 November 1989 at 
    Corner House (Manchester) (1)
    Partnership tour with Bogle-L’Ouverture
  • Cecil Rajendra tour

    Cecil Rajendra tour

    22 November 1989 at 
    University of London (2)
    Partnership tour with Friends of Bogle l’Ouverture. This particular date – a follow-up to Cecil’s talk at the same venue on the 14th – was a shared bill with Adrian Mitchell.
  • Joolz, Levi Tafari, John Moloney, Porky the Poet

    Joolz, Levi Tafari, John Moloney, Porky the Poet

    24 November 1989 at 
    Covent Garden Community Centre (182)
  • The 3rd Jazz-Poetry Festival: Jazz 'n' Women

    The 3rd Jazz-Poetry Festival: Jazz 'n' Women

    25 January 1990 at 
    Tabernacle (7)
    The first of three performances over consecutive nights. Gail Thompson
  • The 3rd Jazz-Poetry Festival: Acid-Jazz-Rap-Poetry Rave

    The 3rd Jazz-Poetry Festival: Acid-Jazz-Rap-Poetry Rave

    26 January 1990 at 
    Tabernacle (7)
    This was the second of three performances over three consecutive nights. Festival supported by Wire and Time Out.   Galliano compere  
  • The 3rd Jazz-Poetry Festival: Joe Harriott Livication

    The 3rd Jazz-Poetry Festival: Joe Harriott Livication

    27 January 1990 at 
    Tabernacle (7)
    Joe Harriott (1928-73) was a Jamaican alto sax player, and co-founder of Indo-Jazz Fusions. ‘Livication’ means ‘dedication’ in Rasta patois. Festival a partnership with Frontline Productions, and supported by The Wire and Time Out. The third of three performances over three consecutive nights. Paul Bradshaw
  • Mervyn Africa & Pitika Ntuli; Keith Waithe & The Macusi Players, Saqib, Brother Niyi

    Mervyn Africa & Pitika Ntuli; Keith Waithe & The Macusi Players, Saqib, Brother Niyi

    02 February 1990 at 
    Covent Garden Community Centre (182)
  • African Dawn, The Jazz Griots (featuring Tunde Jegede), Brother Niyi

    African Dawn, The Jazz Griots (featuring Tunde Jegede), Brother Niyi

    09 February 1990 at 
    Covent Garden Community Centre (182)
    Brother Niyi
  • Clea & McLeod, Jackie Kay, Tom Leonard, Bridgit Bard

    Clea & McLeod, Jackie Kay, Tom Leonard, Bridgit Bard

    16 February 1990 at 
    Covent Garden Community Centre (182)
    Bridgit Bard
  • Linda Smith, Belinda Burton, The Lorraine Bowen Experience, Ann Ziety

    Linda Smith, Belinda Burton, The Lorraine Bowen Experience, Ann Ziety

    23 February 1990 at 
    Covent Garden Community Centre (182)
    Anne Ziety
  • Munirah, Merle Collins, Marsha Prescod, Patience Agbabi

    Munirah, Merle Collins, Marsha Prescod, Patience Agbabi

    2 March 1990 at 
    Covent Garden Community Centre (182)
  • Janice Perry, Storme Webber, Maggie Nicols, Pinise Saul & Janette Mason, Viv Acious

    Janice Perry, Storme Webber, Maggie Nicols, Pinise Saul & Janette Mason, Viv Acious

    09 March 1990 at 
    Covent Garden Community Centre (182)
  • Mark Steel, Logan Murray, The Dinner Ladies, Porky the Poet

    Mark Steel, Logan Murray, The Dinner Ladies, Porky the Poet

    16 March 1990 at 
    Covent Garden Community Centre (182)
  • John Hegley, Curtis & Ishmael, Henry Normal, Ann Ziety

    John Hegley, Curtis & Ishmael, Henry Normal, Ann Ziety

    23 March 1990 at 
    Covent Garden Community Centre (182)
  • Maud Sulter, Sapphire, Carol Grimes (with Angèle Veltmeijer, Janette Mason & Shelly Morris), Linda King

    Maud Sulter, Sapphire, Carol Grimes (with Angèle Veltmeijer, Janette Mason & Shelly Morris), Linda King

    30 March 1990 at 
    Covent Garden Community Centre (182)
  • Bukky Leo Trio, Galliano, Brother Niyi & Sean Williams, Ahmed Sheikh

    Bukky Leo Trio, Galliano, Brother Niyi & Sean Williams, Ahmed Sheikh

    06 April 1990 at 
    Covent Garden Community Centre (182)
  • Night of Poems for Liberation in the '90s

    Night of Poems for Liberation in the '90s

    13 April 1990 at 
    Covent Garden Community Centre (182)
    Part of the Seven Nights for Nelson festival, marking the end of Nelson Mandela’s 26-year imprisonment.
  • Liz Lochhead, Jean 'Binta' Breeze, Ann Ziety, Jackie Kay

    Liz Lochhead, Jean 'Binta' Breeze, Ann Ziety, Jackie Kay

    20 April 1990 at 
    Covent Garden Community Centre (182)
  • Neil Bartlett, Belinda Blanchard, Ian Shaw; Louise Elliot, Deirdre Cartwright & Cheryl Alleyne; Viv Acious

    Neil Bartlett, Belinda Blanchard, Ian Shaw; Louise Elliot, Deirdre Cartwright & Cheryl Alleyne; Viv Acious

    27 April 1990 at 
    Covent Garden Community Centre (182)
    Unnamed guest billed to appear with Elliot, Cartwright & Alleyne
PAGE:FirstPrevious111213141516171819202122NextLast
Latest comments
  • Bella on Contact usThe Spoken Word Archive is an amazing wealth of knowledge and history! It's so great to be able to track the progress of one's poetic heroes from grassroots to where they are now :) Thank you!
  • Fiona Marie on Lydia TomkiwThis is fascinating! It's sent me down an Algebra Suicide / Lydia Tomkiw researching wormhole.
Twitter
  • RT @JoinTheSeason_: SHOUT OUT: @ApplesAndSnakes are on the hunt for artists for #SeasonForChange commission Cece's Speakeasy. Get involve…3 hours ago
  • We're excited to announce the guests that will be joining us for the next Gatherings episode @BlueBirdTail,… https://t.co/b48RoxUsk05 hours ago
Arts Council(opens in new window) Apples and Snakes(opens in new window) Heritage Lottery Fund(opens in new window)

Content released under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0. Website by CommunitySites