POW Thanet: Hands Up! Speak Up! special performance at Dreamland

Hands Up! Speak Up! has been supported by two Thanet county councillors

The audience are expected to raise their hands and voices as poets, singers and mums come together to tell the story of United Mothers.

The Hands Up! Speak Up! event at Dreamland features Tracey Thompson’s poem Bombshell, which tells the story of an isle school banning an intercultural project which helps women living in Thanet.

Bombshell looks at how women cope when shut off, shut down or told to shut up by other members of the community.

For this special performance Tracey has written a new poem, using the voices of United Mothers members, and commissioned two new poems from Setareh Ebrahimi.

Tracey has 20 years experience in community arts, and is known locally for organising Turner Contemporary’s bi-monthly poetry event Landing Place which attracts over 100 poetry fans. She is currently exhibiting paintings in the Dead Horse Festival in Margate’s Pie Factory Gallery.

Hands Up! Speak Up! is a collaboration with Beyond The Page, Wantsum Arts, Tracey Thompson Arts and Dan Thompson Studio.

The event will also include an isle choir and a range of speakers talking about the importance of United Mothers local work.

It has been supported with a £1,000 donation from Labour county councillors Barry Lewis and Karen Constantine.

Hands Up! Speak Up! Is a free event as part of POW Thanet.

It takes place from 1.30pm on Saturday, March 10.

Places, although free, need to be booked. Tickets are available from https://m.bpt.me/event/3233564

Report Dan Thompson

Read here: POW! Thanet 2018 festival highlights marking the centenary of women gaining the vote