DATE: Wednesday 17th June 2026
TIME: 7pm - 9pm
LOCATION: East Quay Kitchen
This is a FREE event

Its time for this month's Spoken Word! Our next open mic is Wednesday 17th June at 7pm, in the East Quay Kitchen. This month's guest speaker will be Eryn McDonald. The invitational theme is The Body is an Ecosystem.

The human body presents an intricate landscape of life, akin to a thriving ecosystem. Various systems and microorganisms contribute to a delicate equilibrium essential for overall health. The human microbiome comprises trillions of microorganisms, forming complex communities that interact intricately with one another and with our bodily systems. And our body is continually adapting to internal and external changes. This month, perhaps you might look inward, exploring the competing parts of your emotional, spiritual, or physical ecosystem. Or you may look outward, at how the world around us impacts how we perceive each other and ourselves.

Poetry Prompt:

Everyone On Shift Is Bleeding

by Eryn McDonald

And we all dip in and out of the ache.
A collective agony.
A joint passed from hand to hand.
That makes us double over.

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We share painkillers and
pretend to be fine.

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Introducing Eryn

Eryn McDonald is a poet, youth worker and multi-disciplinary artist based in Bristol. They have performed at various events across the UK, including Soft Butch, NozStock Festival and Green Gathering. They are a two-time winner of the Milk Poetry Slam and won the Mind Over Slammer Bristol Heat in 2024. They have been published in t’Art Press, Ink, Sweat & Tears, and Butch Is Not A Dirty Word, and they are the co-creator of the theatre show Girlhood on T with Aish Humphreys. They are currently touring their first pamphlet, ‘Friezewood’, which was launched in February earlier this year.

You can find Eryn on Instagram at: @renagainstthemachine

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How the evening works:

· Open Mic Sign Up opens from 6:45pm for a 7pm start.

· MC Introduction and Guest Set

· Open Mic - 2 poems each (but bring a 3rd in case we have time for more)

· Please give trigger warnings for any topics that listeners may find upsetting.

· I shall close the evening and tell you what’s happening next month!

Got an idea for a guest poet you’d love to see perform? I'd love to hear it!

Get in touch via my email or social media channels.

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