Gauge and Ryan take performance art show to Falmouth Poly

This is a special opportunity to hear these pieces performed live. Lauren Gauge, accomplished writer, actor and poet teamed up with poet Rebecca Ryan earlier this year to produce a collaborative spoken word poem after each were commissioned to create and perform poetry for the closing ceremony of It Takes A Village, an exhibition organised by Jessica Voke at The Poly.

Their poem is an emotive depiction of the women’s shared experience and struggles of what it was like to become a mother during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns.

The event was a remarkable success and has been picked up by Falmouth Library and Gauge and Ryan will be hosting their first co-produced event there this week, Becoming Mum and Dad During Lockdown.

This event will take place on Thursday, May 25 at 5.15pm with free entry and is suitable for all ages, parents and non-parents alike.

The event presents an exciting opportunity to see their work come to life once more.

This time, they will be joined by local poets Kingsley Reuben Olaleye and Andrew Fentham, to share the male father narrative as well as Jessica Tate, who Gauge and Ryan met whilst the three of them shared the stage at The Poly in January.

In addition to Gauge and Ryan, these three poets have recently had their poetry exhibited as part of an extended run of Falmouth Town council funded project It Takes A Village at Falmouth Art Gallery.

Their collective voices offer unique insights with the commonality of becoming a parent and experiencing the fourth trimester during what were such unprecedented, uncertain times.

The main aim of this community engaged spoken word event is to empower and connect new parents with their wider community in ways that were not possible during the Covid lockdowns.

The duo welcomes people to step into a warm, inviting space as they create a family friendly, intimate environment that enables performers and audience members to collectively unite through words and shared experiences.

Gauge and Ryan will open up conversation at the end of the performances to create space for optional audience participation, should members feel like sharing aspects of their personal journey or what resonates with them.

This event will provide an opportunity for people to voice feelings and stories that have been unheard or suppressed throughout the pandemic and offer the chance to release them.

Writer and performer Lauren Gauge explains: “Writing poetry is often an incredibly personal, cathartic and vulnerable practice, one that you seldom expect to be able to create so openly and collaboratively but working with Rebecca after we met post-pandemic it felt like we had been granted a brilliant creative freedom which had for so long during the lockdowns been denied.

"She and I connected immediately and this spoken word event Becoming Mum and Dad During Lockdown is an invitation to all in the neighbourhood to share awareness of what each household was going through at time.

Becoming Mum and Dad During Lockdown and our ongoing performance poetry events across Falmouth seek to connect widely with people to build lasting connection, healing and joy through poetry.”

Next month, Gauge and Ryan are set to return to The Poly. Ryan explains, “It was a gift to perform at The Poly, such a renowned venue and hub for major creative talent. You could feel the energy feeding us from the audience within the tightly packed space.

"We loved performing to such a receptive crowd and received overwhelming feedback in support to either record our poetry or perform again, so we can’t wait to return!”

The talented pair are producing and performing at their second event Poetic Licence on June 29 from 8pm-10pm.

Rebecca and Lauren - It Takes A Village community quilt backdrop. (Image: Simon Nield)

It is a creative collaboration which celebrates the summer and lighter times with a heady mix of spoken word, cocktails and open mic. Solskinn coffee house and cocktail bar, upstairs at The Poly will create the perfect backdrop for this evening of poetic play and edition 001 of a new series of events, should it be a success.

Becoming Mum and Dad During Lockdown Thursday, May 25 at 5:15pm Falmouth Library, The Moor. No booking required, free event. All welcome.

Lauren Gauge and Rebecca Ryan present Poetic Licence at The Poly on Thursday, June 29 at 8pm. Tickets available on The Poly website and the door.