Emergency Exit Arts:Recovery Poems

Sat 3 July, all day 11am - 7pm

Drop in for as long as you like.

How do we commemorate what’s been lost as we start to take tentative steps to coming out of lockdown? What do we want to hold onto and grow? What positive changes can we make to society and the natural environment as we recover from the pandemic?

Through talking and listening to communities, artists Robert Montgomery and Deanna Rodger have created an inspiring light poem that will visit public spaces as a backdrop for workshops, performances and reflections.

 

Creative / Production credits

Produced by Emergency Exit Arts with Deanna Rodger and Robert Montgomery Funding, commissioning and partner credits 

Recovery Poem is a partnership project between Without Walls, Emergency Exit Arts, 101 Outdoor Arts, Robert Montgomery, Deanna Rodger, Thatcham Town Council.

About the company and creatives

Emergency Exit Arts began in 1980 as an artists’ collective born out of a desire to radically transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. At a time of social and political change we aspired to make a positive difference to people’s lives, particularly those who were discriminated against and those living in economically excluded communities across London and the UK. Now a registered charity and one of the Arts Council England’s National Portfolio Organisations, EEA has evolved into the reputable outdoor arts company it is today, still pioneering and still inspiring change through creativity. 

Deanna Rodger is a leading poet in the UK. She has been welcomed to perform and facilitate workshops all across the world incl.; Mexico, Sudan, and Beirut, and has been commissioned by institutions such as FIFA, St Paul’s Cathedral, Young Vic, and BBC.  She is a former UK Slam Poetry champion and represented the UK for poetry at the International Biennale, Rome 2011. She designs and delivers educational programs, and tutors at the School of Communication Arts and is a founding member of Keats House Poetry Forum and Chill Pill. Most recently her reimagined version of If’ was read by Serena Williams. 

Robert Montgomery is a Scottish-born, London-based poet, artist and sculptor known for his site-specific installations created from light and text, as well as his ‘fire poems’. He follows a tradition of conceptual art and stands out by bringing a poetic voice to the discourse of text art. Montgomery creates billboard poems, light pieces, fire poems, woodcuts and watercolours. He was the British artist selected for Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2012, the first biennale in India. Montgomery has had solo exhibitions at venues in Europe and in Asia, including major outdoor light installations on the site of the old US Air Force base at Tempelhof. The first monograph of his work was published by Distanz, Berlin in 2015.

 

Information on Covid-Secure Measures

Whilst restrictions are being lifted for outdoor performances and installations we still want to keep everyone safe and avoid large, closely packed crowds.

  • This event will be an installation without fixed performance times so we will not be laying out audience areas or putting barriers across the square. This is to reduce impact on through traffic and make it easy for everyone to enjoy the work.

  • Staff will be wearing masks or visors and be regularly sanitizing their hands. We ask that you follow their instructions closely and, if asked, make space or give way for others.

  • We ask that nobody approach the installation too closely or any of our fenced off staff areas. We've carefully sanitised these for the protection of all and are keeping access as low as possible during the day.

  • We ask everyone to be patient and not clump up as they make their way on or off the square.

  • Whilst the event is in the open air we do still encourage people to wear face covers whilst viewing the installation, especially during peak time when large numbers are likely to gather.

  • We ask that audiences respect social distancing guidelines and maintain at least 1m distance from fellow audience members outside their bubble or household. Please remember that it is not always clear who is most vulnerable.