Thu 23 Sep 2021 to Sun 26 Sep 2021
FREE
BBC Contains Strong Language 2021 is a partnership between the BBC, Coventry City of Culture Trust, Writing West Midlands and Nine Arches Press, and is supported by Arts Council England, the British Council, Creative Lives and Jerwood Arts.
BBC CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE: POETRY & PERFORMANCE FESTIVAL
With local Writers, Poets and Theatre makers
The BBC’s poetry and spoken word festival Contains Strong Language will be coming to Coventry in September 2021 for the biggest celebration of poetry ever seen in the region.
The four-day festival will be taking place in venues across the city, celebrating spoken word in all its poetic forms and revealing the best existing and emerging talent from Coventry and the Midlands.
Among the many performances and events on offer, BBC Radio Club will be giving primary and secondary pupils from Coventry the chance to write and take over the airwaves, while there will also be poetry workshops held in schools across the city.
In Radio 3’s celebration of the spoken word, The Verb, poet and broadcaster Ian McMillan will be waxing lyrical on the verse that has made the Midlands and the new talent emerging from its streets right now. Meanwhile, BBC Radio 4’s Front Row will showcase Coventry’s vibrant poetry and spoken word scene, putting the city’s writers in the spotlight on the international stage.
Seeking out the best new spoken word talent in the UK will see BBC 1Xtra, BBC Asian Network and Contains Strong Language working together again in 2021.
BBC Arts and BBC Audio are partnering with the regional literature development agency Writing West Midlands, poetry publisher Nine Arches Press and Coventry UK City of Culture 2021 with Jerwood Arts supporting a programme of commissions and career development support for emerging and early career poets from the West Midlands.
The festival will take place in venues around the city from Thursday 23 to Sunday 26 September 2021.
Tickets for Contains Strong Language are on sale now.
Please be aware that due to the BBC’s tight covid restrictions we will be taking tickets off sale up to 48 hours prior to the event. Tickets will not be available for walk-ups, so please ensure to book your tickets before these deadlines:
-Tickets for events taking place on Thu 23 Sep will come off sale on Wed 22 Sep at 5pm.
-Tickets for events taking place on Fri 24 Sep come off sale on Thu 23 Sep at 5pm.
-Tickets for events taking place on Sat 25 and Sun 26 Sep come off sale on Fri 24 Sep at 5pm.
Please note: the BBC are working under tight regulations, and so they have to carry out additional checks at all BBC events. When showing your ticket for entry to the auditorium, they will also need you to provide one of the following:
A double COVID-19 vaccination received at least 2 weeks prior to attending the Events. Please provided evidence either through the NHS app (NHS covid pass) or vaccination card; OR
A negative COVID-19 Lateral flow test result (taken in the 48 hours prior to attending the Event) with certification shown via email or text; OR
proof of natural immunity based upon a positive PCR test taken 180 days prior to the event.
Lateral flow tests can be order from https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests or collected from your local pharmacy or test centre. They are free and you will be given a pack containing 7 tests. Once you have taken your test, please report the negative result on the NHS website at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/report-covid19-result. You will receive either a text or e-mail confirmation of your negative result which you will need to show when entering the event.