Brigstowe hosted an evening of poetry with special guests activist Jonathan Blake and poet Simon Maddrell.
Jonathan Blake, diagnosed in 1982 at the start of the AIDS epidemic, has lived with HIV for over four decades and is a renowned and dedicated activist.
Some of Jonathan’s work in activism include his participation in the movement Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners (LGSM), an alliance that supported the National Union of Mineworkers during the year-long strike of 1984–1985. The movement has since been memorialised in the film Pride (2014) and a play at the Sherman Theatre in Cardiff, now on its way to the National Theatre, premiering in June.
Simon Maddrell is a poet, educator and performer whose work engages with themes of identity, community and lived realities of HIV. Simon has worked together with Jonathan to capture his story, written as a verse memoir in Jonathan’s voice.
On Thursday 23rd April, Brigstowe’s evening of poetry brought together clients, volunteers and friends and family at a friendly and relaxed gathering at Hamilton House. Jonathan and Simon performed together, reading Simon’s poetry from various collections and touching upon various themes around living with HIV. Their close friendship was evident in their harmonious performance, which blended elements of visual storytelling as well as acting, as Jonathan and Simon performed some of the poems as a dialogue.
At the end of the night, attendees had the opportunity to get on the stage to share their own work. From singing to poetry, the audience enjoyed a versatile range of performances.
Finally, the floor was opened to questions, allowing Jonathan and Simon to reflect on themes of shame, connection and the vulnerability of sharing one’s personal story. Attendees could also purchase Simon’s poetry pamphlets and anthologies at the event.
Simon Maddrell said: “It was wonderful to come to Bristol and share my story and Jonathan’s story, but also to see the reception and the audience, and to hear the words of other people.
“The other speakers were very inspiring and emphasised both the importance of telling our stories and the importance of listening to each others’ stories.”
Teo, one of the attendees who read personal poetry at the event, reflected on the friendly atmosphere at the poetry evening: “I feel really good after being in a space with people who have no expectations of what others will be like, just expectations of safety. It all felt like one big organism.”
We would like to give a warm thank you to Jonathan and Simon for traveling to Bristol for the event and for sharing their work, and to our service users and guests for coming along.
To learn more about upcoming events at Brigstowe, please email us at info@brigstowe.org or call us at 0117 955 5038. Consider becoming a Friend of Brigstowe to help us keep facilitating inspiring and empowering events for people living with HIV in Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset.