Spoken word artist Aliyah Hasinah performing at Beatfreeks Poetry Jam’s 3rd Birthday (Photograph: Paul Stringer)
Three years ago a bunch of young artists and curious people gathered sweatily in the upstairs of swanky new Urban Coffee Company in Birmingham’s Church Street.
Like a Jekyll and Hyde of the hospitality world, during the day suit-clad entrepreneurs and professionals gathered over spreadsheets and espressos, making way for a wave of artist-come-activists post 6pm.
Three years ago this movement sparked a collective consciousness; a generation of young people who needed space to express themselves freely regardless of their political or economic stance and in spite of their labels and stereotypes.
Beatfreeks’ Poetry Jam was born.
Spoken word artist Luci Hammans delivers a powerful poem at Beatfreeks Poetry Jam (Photograph: Paul Stringer)
Three years on, we have had tears, roars, cackles, mini-raves and epiphanies.
Thursday (Feb 4) saw the community celebrate its 3rd birthday. Acutely aware of how strange it is to celebrate an inanimate object’s birthday, this wasn’t about an event but more marking a community who stands together through thick and thin or in our case, through venue change.
CEO and Founder of Beatfreeks, Anisa Haghdadi, serves up birthday cake at Poetry Jams 3rd birthday (Photograph: Paul Stringer)
Poets old and new, young and erm, not-so-young, gathered to eat cake (thanks to the Java Lounge for the gesture), share stories and free themselves.
A packed house at Java Lounge in Birmingham city centre, Poetry Jam’s latest home (Photograph: Paul Stringer)
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Poetry Jam is the first Thursday of the month at Java Lounge, Colmore Row, 7-9pm with an optional writing circle at 6-7pm. Free. More at www.beatfreeks.com.
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Anisa Haghdadi
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