The Poetry Takeaway is 'the world's first, purpose-built mobile poetry emporium'. It specialises in the production of free, made-to-order poetry, delivered and performed to the hungry yet discerning consumer within ten minutes or less.
Its modelled on your typical burger van, and is manned by a rotating cast of the UK's best performance poets who write, perform and deliver a hand-written, carefully boxed, souvenir copy of every customer's poem.
No experience or knowledge of poetry is required - just a taste for mild adventure. Queue up and chat to one of our specially trained poetry chefs about what you'd like your verse to be about or like, wait for ten minutes or less, and you'll receive a personal performance of your very own poem, along with a copy to take home (open or wrapped). If you're at a music festival for the next three days, for example, we can look after your copy and then post you a framed version of it when you return home.
The Poetry Takeaway will tour to music, arts, and literary festivals throughout the UK in Summer 2011 - its already received several bookings - and will be at the Edinburgh Festival for the whole of August.
In the Autumn, we'll take it to schools and run creative writing workshops out of it, using our good relationship with several fully-qualified educational workshop leaders. The PT is absolutely perfect for corporate or private events - it operates unobtrusively in the background not requiring a crowd's full attention, and is a great ice breaker.
Its been praised by The Independent, and The Stage said "The Poetry Takeaway is a nice idea and fun way of bringing poetry to people."
Its been partly funded by winning the Ideastap Innovators Scheme in Dec 2010, but requires further funding to complete the build in February.
The Poetry Takeaway is created and managed by Show + Tell (an award-winning production company of live comedy and live literature www.showandtelluk.com) and Tim Clare (an award-winning writer, award-winning poet and TV presenter www.timclarepoet.co.uk). The design and art direction is a collaboration led by Nicola Read, founder of 815Agency (www.815agency.com), and Niall Gallacher, co-director of House of Jonn (www.houseofjonn.com).
