About GOBS

About GOBS Collective

Nottingham spoken-word collective GOBS host poetry performances, workshops, events, book clubs, masterclasses and education programmes. GOBS Collective meet on a quarterly basis (spring, summer, autumn, winter) with various projects and opportunities rolling out throughout the year.

Founded by Bridie Squires and Ioney Smallhorne in 2020, GOBS was formed through a workshop series co-produced by the pair. Lockdown forced the once-live programme onto Zoom. Over 2 cohorts, 40 Nottingham people cracked on to create poetry films, digital zines and live performances alongside Debris Stevenson and Casey Bailey respectively.

Since lockdown, GOBS Collective have appeared at WRAP, Green Hustle, Hockley Hustle and Gilles Peterson's We Out Here festival. In 2022, GOBS created Full Moon - a poetry showcase at Nonsuch Studios as part of Nottingham Poetry Festival, featuring Randolph Matthews and with movement direction from John Berkavitch. GOBS was launched with the support of Curated & Created by Nottingham Trent University, is now partnered with Apples and Snakes, and has received funding from Arts Council England on multiple occasions.

GOBS collaborated with Nottingham Community Artist Network to launch SPRAYBOX - a spoken-word evening in The Chapel (upstairs in Nottingham’s Angel Microbrewery) in 2022. The group also hosted PEEPSIN - an online/in-person hybrid poetry book club which has taken place in Mimm Studios and Broadway Cinema’s Lounge - and have hosted Word Walks (outdoor creative writing workshops) in collaboration with Nottingham Poetry Festival.

GOBS Collective has recently partnered with Nottingham Playhouse, taking part in the workshop series Develop Your Creative Practice, launched by GOBS co-founder Bridie Squires as part of research and development for her one-woman show Casino Zero. GOBS meet on a quarterly basis, with various projects and opportunities rolling out throughout the year.

If you’d like to get involved in GOBS Collective, drop Bridie and Ioney an email at info@gobscollective.org to get added to the mailing list and WhatsApp group.