For d/Deaf and disabled writers, the Salons support and promote underrepresented writers and be an inclusive space where d/Deaf and disabled writers can be part of a community, learn, have fun and share their work.
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CRIPtic x Spread the Word is a year-long programme of writers’ salons, led by industry-leading creatives including a workshop, reading and open mic.
The Salon aims to support and promote underrepresented writers and be an inclusive space where deaf and disabled writers can be part of a community, learn, have fun and share their work.
This Salon has a workshop, followed by a reading and Q&A with Koko Brown and an opportunity for you to take part in an open mic (five x five mins slots are available and you need to apply for them in advance – there is more information on this further down this page).
The Salon is open to deaf and disabled writers writing in any genre, new or more experienced and is hosted by Alice Christina-Corrigan, Community Programmes Officer at CRIPtic Arts.
If you’d like to be considered for an open mic slot, please book a ticket to the event. We’ll email you through an open mic application form. You’ll need to complete this to be considered for the open mic. We ask you to share your writing bio and writing you’d like to read on the night at this point. We have five x five minute slots for each Salon so if we’re oversubscribed for applications we’ll choose those who haven’t read before, and also consider a balance of reading genres.
The Salon is free to attend.
6.30pm – 7.20pm: Writing workshop with Koko Brown: Reflecting & Reconnecting Through Poetry. Embark on a two-hour artistic journey led by Koko Brown. Known for her impactful fusion of theatre, spoken word, and music, Koko invites you to an intimate session focused on informal reflection and artistic reconnection. In this dynamic session, expect check-ins, warm-ups, and guided exercises offering the building blocks for your creative exploration. Koko will guide you through the beginning of something through to crafting a piece of poetry.
Whether you’re a seasoned creative or just starting your artistic journey, this session aims to informally reconnect you with yourself, providing a platform to learn, create, and share. Join us for an inspiring and expressive evening with Koko Brown at the helm. Check in, warm up, and let the poetic journey commence!
7 .20 – 7.35pm: break
7.35pm – 8.30pm: Reading and Q&A with workshop with Koko Brown + open mic
About Koko: Koko Brown is a Black-mixed, Queer, Disabled Artist & Producer. She takes pride in her roots, being ‘the other’ and blends theatre, spoken word and music throughout her work. She aims to make all her work #AccessibleAsStandard.
An Alumni Associate Artist at Ovalhouse, Resident Artist at the Roundhouse and Oberon Books/Bloomsbury published author, Koko has worked with the National Theatre, Latitude Festival, Soho Theatre, Brainchild, and Glastonbury Festival as well as international performance collective Hot Brown Honey.
@theKokoBrown – heykoko.com
A bout the Writers’ Salons
The Writers’ Salons are run in a partnership between CRIPtic Arts and Spread the Word. The Salons are supported by Scope and Arts Council England.
Accessibility:
The Salon takes place on Zoom.
The Salon will be BSL Interpreted by Michelle Wood and Lynne Bateman.
It will also be auto-captioned.
The Salon is a relaxed space. People will be given regular breaks and are able to take additional breaks as needed.
Open Mic participants and guest readers will be asked to self-describe when introducing themselves.
Any images used at the Salon will be described, and Open Mic participants will be asked to describe any slides or images used in their own work.
We cannot guarantee a trigger-free space, and we will request that people participating in the Open Mic slots flag content likely to trigger.
Please email us about any other access needs: [email protected]
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FAQs
What do you mean by deaf and disabled?
When we say deaf and disabled, we include within that neurodivergence, chronic and long-term health conditions and mental health conditions.
How do I sign up to take part in the open mic?
There will be five x 5 minute open mic slots available at each Salon.
In your confirmation email for the ticket you’ll receive a link to complete an open mic application form, which we need you to complete in order to read at the Salon. We ask you in this form to share your writing bio and five minutes of reading material with us – this can be in English written form, or as a video or audio file. We’ll let you know if you have an open mic slot by the Wednesday before the Salon takes place. We ask for this info as it enables us to send work through to our BSL interpreters in advance of the Salon.
If the open mic slots to be oversubscribed and will prioritise writers reading from a range of genres and those who have not read at the Salon before.
Image description: Koko Brown, a Black-mixed race woman with short curly, platinum blonde hair, leans against a terracotta wall, wearing a black jacket a white cropped jumper and black high waisted jeans. She wears large silver hoops and black sunglasses, that rest on top of her head, while smiling and looking to the left.