2020: The Launch into Lockdown
GOBS Collective launched in March 2020. The group of emerging poets met in Notttingham Trent University’s Dance Studio, starting on a journey of development in a series of creative-writing workshops headed by Lead Artists Ioney Smallhorne and Bridie Squires. Shortly after, the world went into lockdown following the news of the COVID-19 pandemic. GOBS Collective continued their workshops in online video-chat sessions and worked towards a digital stream of pre-recorded poetry films instead of the once-planned live showcase at NTU’s University Hall.
During the programme, many participants were juggling working from home with educating and entertaining children, navigating supermarket queues, grieving, confronting anxieties, and coping with everything else that comes with a worldwide crisis. The creativity, bravery and determination of everyone involved in this project is a testament to the resilience and creativity inside all of us.
Download the
GOBS Collective 2020 Digital Zine
Cover: Lily Petkova
Later in 2020, GOBS aired their second ever showcase, this time featuring dyslexic academic, grime writer and bashment-dancing social activist Debris Stevenson. This showcase was still online, but ran completely live as part of Nottingham Poetry Festival and was later aired on Notts TV. GOBS Collective was founded with a massive nod to Mouthy Poets - the legendary community arts organisation headed by Debris Stevenson for many years in Nottingham - of which GOBS Lead Writers Bridie and Ioney were a part of.
Download the
GOBS Collective 2021 Digital Zine
Cover: Vicky Trotman
2021: IRL
In February 2021, still in the thick of lockdown, GOBS launched a new online workshop programme with a new group of Nottingham people. The poets came together to create a showcase with a mixture of live and recorded performances, headlined by incredible Birmingham poet laureate Casey Bailey. Together with the showcase, GOBS launched their second digital anthology: Live, Laugh, Lockdown.
When the world opened up once more, GOBS Collective appeared at Nottingham Trent University’s WRAP events, Green Hustle, and Hockley Hustle. We launched Nottingham Poetry Festival’s Word Walk series, moving as a group from Nottingham’s Old Market Square to Victoria Park while logging our thoughts and creative scribbles - all of which was developed into a zine!
That same year, GOBS collaborated with Nottingham Community Artist Network to launch SPRAYBOX - a series of spoken-word performance events in The Chapel (upstairs in Nottingham’s Angel Microbrewery). The group also launched PEEPSIN - an online/in-person hybrid poetry book club which has taken place in Mimm Studios and Broadway Cinema’s Lounge over the past few years.
2022: Full Moon
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. All thanks to a partnership with Apples and Snakes, and funding from Arts Council England.
Later in the year, four members of GOBS (Bridie, Ioney, Cara and Cheska) developed a show which appeared at Gilles Peterson’s We Out Here Festival!
2023: Stage Craft
In 2023, GOBS Collective supported Yomi Sode at Theatre Royal Nottingham, as part of Nottingham Poetry Festival. Following that, we 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.
