Open Mic Poetry
Meet the Man Behind the Open Mic Poetry Nights at New Park Centre
For nearly two decades, poetry has been quietly, and sometimes boldly, filling the room at New Park Centre. Open Mic Poetry nights here have become a welcoming home for first-time readers, seasoned performers and those who simply come to listen, drawn by a shared love of words and atmosphere rather than perfection.
At the heart of it all is Barry Smith, poet, festival director and long-standing champion of accessible, community-led poetry. Alongside his role as compere of Open Mic Poetry at New Park Centre, Barry is Director of the South Downs Poetry Festival, editor of Poetry & All That Jazz magazine, Patron of the Shelley Memorial Project and curator of poetry for Blakefest. His own work has been widely published and recognised, with collections Performance Rites and Reeling and Writhing, and nominations including the T.S. Eliot Prize.
Despite these accolades, what matters most to Barry is the room itself: a space where voices of all kinds can be heard, without pressure or judgement. We caught up with him to talk about how the Open Mic Poetry nights began, why they continue to thrive, and what makes the upcoming Keats and the Romantics celebration such a special moment in Chichester’s cultural calendar.
Whether you’re poetry-curious, a secret scribbler, or someone who’s always wondered what actually happens at an open mic night, this is your invitation to step inside.
Hello Barry, how did the Open Mic Poetry night at New Park Centre begin, and what first drew you to running it
While I was Head of the English Faculty at Bishop Luffa School, I’d worked with my colleague Joan Secombe to promote our students creative writing. We ran a national prize-winning magazine, Knight Life (Poetry Society, WH Smith and Cadbury awards, etc.) for many years. When we retired, we shifted our focus from student to adult writers. Several of our ex-students are published writers.
We both write poetry ourselves and so chose New Park as the ideal place for a community venture. We’re now in our nineteenth year of Open Mic Poetry!
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For someone who’s never been before, how would you describe the atmosphere on a typical Open Mic night?
We go for a friendly, welcoming atmosphere so everyone feels at home, whether they are just beginning or are already a published poet. No stress or criticism, just helpful appreciation.
Who is the Open Mic really for – and do people need to read, or can they just come along and listen?
The open mic is for everyone of any age, from student to pensioner and everybody in-between. People are welcome to read a poem or two of their own or just sit back and listen. There’s disabled access if needed.
You host a real mix of poets, from first-timers to published writers. Why is that mix so important to you?
We enjoy hearing a huge variety of unique voices. Everyone has something to say. We discovered with creative writing that it’s often the act of writing that helps people discover what they feel and think about things.
You’ve featured poets exploring big, sometimes challenging themes. What do you think poetry offers that other art forms don’t?
We’ve had humorous poets, challenging poets, off-the-wall poets with poems on traditional themes in rhyming verse to free verse word-spinning on up to the minute subjects and sometimes deeply personal, life changing moments. It’s something to do with the shaping of ideas and expression that create meaning in a way other art forms don’t, or at least do differently.
The Open Mic also hosts special themed evenings – including the upcoming Keats and the Romantics night. What makes this event special?
Along with the University of Chichester, we were part of the consortium supporting sculptor Vincent Gray’s plan to create a unique statue of John Keats, the greatest Romantic poet, who was inspired by his visit to the city and the special atmosphere of the Vicars Hall, the Crypt and the medieval architecture of the Cathedral to begin writing his masterpiece, The Eve of St Agnes, a Romeo and Juliet style love story in a time of strife for warring clans.
Having achieved our objective of having the statue in Eastgate, we continue to celebrate great poetry in a very poetical city.
Many famous names have participated in our celebrations, including Dame Patricia Routledge, TV personality Peter Jones, actors Michael Jayston and Gareth Williams, Dame Penelope Keith, Roger McGough, etc.
What can audiences expect from the Keats celebration on 25 February, especially if they’re new to poetry events?
Keats Celebration on 25th February is part of the South Downs Poetry Festival. Audiences will enjoy hearing poets read from the works of John Keats and the other Romantics like Shelley and Byron, alongside new contemporary poems on similar themes, or with a similar atmosphere, in effect Romanticism today. Professor Fiona Price from Chichester University will give a short talk to offer a context about Keats, then we’ll hear local poet Stephanie Norgate read from her extensive published repertoire as well as from her favourite Keats poems.
After that, it’s the open mic, when people are invited to read a poem of their own and a short Romantic poem or extract. There’s many to choose from, but best to have a couple in mind in case someone else goes for the same piece! You can find plenty of Keats, Shelley or Byron poems online. But no epics! 3 or 4 minutes each, to give everyone a chance. And it won’t matter if people haven’t got a Romantic poem to read, we’ll enjoy hearing their own poetry.
If someone is curious but a little nervous about coming along, what would you say to them?
Don’t be shy, give it a go! Once in the room, people almost always want to join in…..but no one has to read, It’s ok to listen.
What keeps you excited about Open Mic Poetry after all these years?
No two open mics are the same, they are always unique, with a special blend of thoughts, words and images. And it’s strange, but all the open mics seem to develop an identity of their own where everything fits, though it’s chance and not planned.