Verbalise has been encouraging aspiring, established and new voices in spoken word from the Brewery Arts Warehouse for over 15 years. It started at first as Spoken Word Open Mic, a partnership between Brewery Arts and Apples & Snakes in 2009. Ann Grant was the Apples & Snakes NW Co-ordinator and has been the event host throughout. Her main aim was to create a platform for voices in Cumbria and Lancashire, to raise their voices and aspirations as spoken word artists. The open mic is undeniably a safe space for performance poets, prose writers, novelists, storytellers and anyone who writes. Open mic spots of up to four minutes are booked in advance.
At each Verbalise event, a guest writer will be featured.
There is a mix of national profile spoken word artists and emerging or established local artists throughout the year. To make the events accessible to audiences and open mic performers, an online ticket option is available, allowing you to attend from the comfort of your own home. People have attended and read poems from New York, Morecambe, Liverpool and Hebden Bridge. Also, the guest writer and most of the open mic performers submit their words in advance so they can be screen-shared on the screen behind them.
Starting this September, we are taking Verbalise up a level and raising the profile of Kendal’s spoken word scene. Some of our established performers deserve a bigger audience and more stage time. Also, we want to encourage more people to take part and try some different events.
27 September: Verbalise Special with Rose Condo.
Our first Verbalise Special is in the Malt Room with cabaret seating featuring Canadian-born, Prestwich-based, multi-award-winning poet and spoken word artist Rose Condo. We’ll be treated to her brand-new material and extracts from her shows The Empathy Experiment, The Geography of Me and How to Starve an Artist. Tickets are £11 and you can order pizza to be delivered to your table. Pizza orders need to be in before 7.40 pm on the night.
1 October: Poetry Slam-bria!
Poetry Slams are high-energy, fun spoken word competitions. Each of the performers will have 3 minutes on the mic so they can impress the guest judges with their original words and engaging performances. Round 2 features the 6 performers with the highest scores from Round 1. Lastly, Round 3 will be the highest scoring from Round 2.
There are 14 spots available (on a first-come, first-served basis), so bring your friends to cheer you on. All work must be original and written on this year’s National Poetry Day theme of Play. Enter by 1 September to secure your spot. The overall winner will receive the slam trophy and a paid spot at Verbalise in 2026.
25 October: Verbalise with Matt Windle.
We will be back in the Warehouse with the punchy poet Matt Windle. He is an English professional boxer as well as a poet. He is a former Commonwealth light-flyweight champion and three-time Birmingham Poet Laureate.
13 December: Verbalise with Dominic Berry.
Our favourite queer, vegan poet Dominic Berry presents his favourite poems from his collections Tomorrow I Will Go Dancing, Wizard, Tigers and Yes Life, along with new poetry designed to engage and inspire.
Find out more about these events and book tickets here
