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In This Issue
Profile
Feature
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Who Are We?
Passionate about literature and words wherever we find them, renaissance one are producers and advocates who work across literature artforms - from poetry and prose to talks, spoken word and festivals - from readings and book launches to theatrically-staged shows and education work. We channel our curiosity, imagination and wide-ranging understanding of literature into any given project to bring unique results. Our activity involves brokerage and mentoring for writers, producing readings, workshops and tours, project management and strategic consultancy.
Look out for guest editors and new features in the coming months
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Keep in Touch
Contact Us
hq[at]renaissanceone.co.uk
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60 Seconds with novelist
Nick Barlay
Are there any writers who are an inspiration and if so, why?
- Too many to list on a spinning globe, from George Konrad to Angela Carter
What are you passionate about?
- People and their voices
What has been your greatest professional experience?
- There hasn't been a 'greatest', more a series of firsts, the first radio play broadcast, the first article, story and novel published...Each new work feels like the greatest experience.
What's the most important piece of insider knowledge you have as an artist/writer?
- Always care
What is the latest book, film or show that moved you (and why)?
- I recently watched again John Cassavetes' film, 'A Woman Under the Influence'. Gena Rowlands is great, partly because it's impossible to know whether she's acting or not
What fictional character is most like you?
- Brer Rabbit. He's independent and lippy but nowhere near paranoid enough about Brer Fox.
What creative masterpiece do you wish you'd written?
- Apart from Harry Potter (for the money) anything by Samuel Beckett would do.
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Welcome to our June Newsletter
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Welcome to Issue One of renaissance one's newsletter.
This issue we focus on:
- Ten years of renaissance one!
- Performance poet Adisa who in collaboration with us has recently completed an England tour of his first show of spoken word 1968: The Year That Never Ended.
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10 Years of renaissance one
renaissance one has been running for ten years, operating within and beyond UK literature as a passionate advocate of writers and literature and a successful independent company. We ask founder/Director, Melanie Abrahams, how it was done.
How did you start out?
At the early stages, I didn’t conceive of renaissance one as it is now. I’d always had a passion for words and books and when I began working in the arts, was surprised to discover that the sector didn’t reflect the range of books, writers, and talent out there. So I spotted an opportunity to do something worthwhile, and personally meaningful – to champion writers whom I felt deserved a bigger profile.
It began with setting up a sole tradership practice in 1997 to represent my first client, the writer/novelist/playwright Kwame Dawes, who was introduced to me by fellow writer Bernardine Evaristo. Kwame was based (and still is) in South Carolina and he would be in England for about 1 month each year. He was connected to the literature development agency Spread the Word as a mentor to many writers as well as other projects. So what I began to do was to connect the dots and galvanise a greater range of work through bookings, festivals and new commissions. I did this on weekends and evenings whilst doing a full time job, and then set up a company, renaissance one, in when other writers started asking me to do the same for them.
What was the thinking behind renaissance one?
I imagined an agency of many facets, one that reflected contemporary Britain and culture, had an open and eclectic approach to poetry, prose and genres and wished to work with the best and the most exciting writers, with a keen eye for emerging talent and diversity.
Which writers did you work with and why?
The original roster of writers that we represented for bookings included Bernardine Evaristo, Sophie Woolley, Pierre Ringwald, Patience Agbabi, Lawrence Scott, Roger Robinson, John Siddique, Heather Taylor, Courttia Newland, Biyi Bandele, Judith Bryan, Anthony Joseph, Sundra, Leone Ross, Charlie Dark, Abraham Gibson, Gavrielle Groves Gidney and Kwame Dawes.
In addition across our literature projects we’ve collaborated with over eighty other writers including Grace Nichols, Ben Okri, Karen McCarthy, Brian Patten, Romesh Gunesekera, Ali Smith, Stacy Makishi, Colin Channer, Ursula Rucker, Gary Younge, John Hegley and the late Michael Donaghy. The two questions I reflect on most are ‘how best can we be of service?’ and ‘how can we best reflect contemporary culture?’ We learn to trust our taste and develop from the mistakes as well as the successes.
How have you grown the business?
Over the years we’ve brought on interns and staff as the business and the projects have expanded. There are between 4 and 10 in the team depending on whether we’re working on a project that requires us to scale up or down such as a tour or semi-staged show. We operate virtually with no fixed abode, preferring to build a lattice of connections, conversations and relationships with venues and festivals – a growing family with many mouths to feed…
And the future?
So far this year is exciting with a focus on planning and curating in the first part of the year which leads to some short-burst England tours of writers visiting from overseas in the autumn and a new festival initiated by Tilt, our sister company. We’re also curating a leadership project in the summer with the Cultural Leadership Programme.
Beyond that no specific plans so that we can see how the year evolves and respond to developments..
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Share your memories of renaissance one
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What has been your favourite literature event?
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Have any writers stood out at an event?
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Have you discovered anyone new at a renaissance one show?
We would love to hear from you! Email us at hq[at]renaissanceone.co.uk and we will do our best to include them in future newsletters/listings.
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PROFILEShare
On Spoken Word Show & Tour '1968: The Year That Never Ended'
Written and performed by performance poet Adisa, 1968: The Year That Never Ended is a show that explores 1968, one of the most momentous years of the 20th century and its relationship to now.
The show goes to town with the spoken word genre, through a cavalcade of poetry, performance, poignant monologue and personal commentary on growing up in Thatcher’s Britain as someone born in, and influenced by, 1968.
The setting for much of Adisa’s story is a monochromatic Luton town, offset by a soaring soundtrack of the sounds of ’68 and a host of musical influences performed by musician Randolph Matthews who occupies the stage for the entire show, at times contributing to the movement and the scene dynamic.
Breaking out and ‘finding your own voice’ becomes the raison d’etre for Adisa who given a birth name Kenuth goes through several name changes before settling for the one he’s now known by.
1968: The Year That Never Ended covers Adisa’s personal story within a wider frame of the momentous music, movements, protest and societal changes in 1968. It references pivotal artists and personalities including Roger McGough, Robert Kennedy, Nina Simone, Fela Kuti and Alan Ginsberg. Drawing on core themes of revolution and leadership Adisa explores the power of the collective voice.
'I believe 1968 was more than a year To me -- it was a superhero. A cross between Flava Flav and Malcolm X Wearing a giant clock with no hands. Just the words -- Wake up!!' Adisa, extract from '1968'
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