Poetry helps us make sense of the world. At weddings we read poetry to celebrate, at funerals it helps us to grieve. Tony Walsh\u2019s <\/span>This is the Place<\/span><\/i><\/a> and <\/span>Ben Okri\u2019s poem <\/span>Grenfell Tower, June, 2017 <\/span><\/i><\/a>are recent examples of how poetry can help us to unpack, process, and communicate even, and perhaps especially, in the most challenging situations. Poetry is about<\/span> human connection. It\u2019s people listening to each other, sharing their stories, conveying important messages.<\/span><\/p>\n It’s vital and innate and has always provided a powerful format for protest. Apples and Snakes started in the 1980s; we\u2019ve seen how artistic expression not only reflects but also shapes the events of the day. We\u2019ve worked with artists including Benjamin Zephaniah, Kate Tempest, Lemn Sissay \u2013 artists who both clarify and complicate the world with words.<\/span><\/p>\n At a key moment in our history \u2013 when we are more technologically networked than ever and yet feel increasingly isolated \u2013 poetry provides a lens through which we can view the world anew, discover, explore, and understand, it provides a space in which we can connect to ourselves and to one another. For us, poetry has never been elite. We\u2019ve been challenging the expectations of what poetry is for over 35 years. It is protest. It is dialogue. It is confrontation and it is empathy. It isn\u2019t escapism, \u00a0it isn\u2019t inaccessible. And it isn\u2019t confined to the page. We have staged performances at picket-lines, on buses, in supermarkets, gardens, swimming pools, in theatres; we have made work in schools, prisons, libraries. And we are only just scratching the surface of where poetry can go and who it speaks to.<\/span><\/p>\n We were keen to get their take on the statement: No Word Unspoken. We asked some of the brilliant artists we\u2019ve collaborated with in recent times to respond with voice recordings, videos and written phrases. This page showcases their responses. <\/span><\/p>\n What does \u2018No word unspoken\u2019 mean to you? Add your voice! Tag us on social media using #NoWordUnspoken and tell us what speaking up and speaking out means to you. We\u2019ll add our favourite contributions to this page. There is power in what you have to say.<\/span><\/p>\n Apples and Snakes Artistic Director Lisa Mead on #NoWordUnspoken<\/em><\/p>\nWe believe poetry and spoken word is relevant, immediate and democratic. <\/span><\/h3>\n
The recent surge in the popularity of poetry is not surprising. \u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
Artists are at the heart of what we do.<\/span><\/h3>\n