Books / Poetry
Bristol-based Poetry Can to close
Bristol-based poetry development organisation, Poetry Can, has announced that it is to close at the end of June this year. The announcement on its website states:
“With great regret, the board of trustees has decided to close Poetry Can, ceasing day-to-day operations by the end of June 2018. This comes in the wake of our unsuccessful bid for Arts Council England funding for the 2018-19 financial year. Their failure to approve our Grants for the Arts application meant that we had no guaranteed income with which to run Poetry Can from 1st April. As a result, we had to rely entirely on cash reserves until we could secure significant other funding.
The announcement continues, “The board explored options to continue operating in the long term, including re-applying to the Arts Council and seeking alternative sources of funding. However, taking into account the risk of not securing new income and the need to retain sufficient reserves with which to wind up the company in an orderly fashion, the board decided that the safest option was to close.”
is needed now More than ever
Poetry Can has been in operation for 23 years. Its main aim has been to encourage “as many people as possible…to get involved in poetry activity.”
The charity has run a huge number of events including the high profile Bristol Poetry Festival for more than two decades, as well as education projects, and has provided advice, training and support to other organisations and writers.
The news comes at a time when the poetry scene in the south west and Bristol in particular has, arguably, never been more vibrant. A host of regular poetry and spoken word nights in Bristol including Milk, Raise the Bar, Blah Blah Blah, Urban Word Collective, Hammer & Tongue and Satellite of Love have made the city a centre for poetry activity, attracting many of the biggest names in poetry on a local, national and international level.
Publishers such as Burning Eye Books, Hesterglock, Moot Press and the recently launched Small Press are ensuring that Bristol’s historic connection with poetry publishing is thriving.
And the introduction of a Poet Laureate for the city has also contributed to a major increase in the profile of poetry in the city.
For more information on the closure of Poetry Can, visit www.poetrycan.co.uk/
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