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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Metal Culture
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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260621
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260622
DTSTAMP:20260604T183215Z
CREATED:20260512T140118Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260604T183215Z
UID:24940-1782000000-1782086399@metalculture.com
SUMMARY:EWH: Walk and Talk around Canvey Wick with Man About Country
DESCRIPTION:Join James Lawrence\, AKA Man About Country\, for a special guided walk around Canvey Wick\, one of Essex’s (and England’s) most fascinating nature reserves. In this brownfield rainforest you’ll discover wildlife\, hear stories from over 2\,000 years of Canvey Island history\, and explore how these incredible places can supercharge your creative practice in unexpected ways. \nJames is working on a book following his 400km adventure on the Essex Way.  \nBook your tickets here. Tickets are £10 and include lunch. \nSee the full Essex Writers Programme here.
URL:https://metalculture.com/whats-on/ewh-walk-and-talk-around-canvey-wick-with-man-about-country/
LOCATION:Canvey Wick
CATEGORIES:Southend
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://metalculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Copy-of-National-Centre-for-Writings-Esculator-writers-Emily-Abdeni-Holman-and-Boakye-D.-Alpha-In-conversation-with-award-winning-author-Camilla-Balshaw.jpg
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DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260624T100000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260624T173000
DTSTAMP:20260512T140248Z
CREATED:20260512T133855Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260512T140248Z
UID:24924-1782295200-1782322200@metalculture.com
SUMMARY:EWH: Open Advice Sessions with Camilla Balshaw
DESCRIPTION:Come along to one of our artist advice sessions for artists\, with the Metal Southend team and special guest writer Camilla Balshaw. \nWe are offering free 1:1 sessions for writers\, creatives and artists who live and/or work within our local areas. They will be led by you and what you would like to discuss. Sessions may include: \n– Discussing your creative practice or writing\n– Talking through a project idea\n– Advice or sign posting to different funding routes or opportunities\n– Building relationships with different organisations\, voluntary groups\, partners or venues\n– Budget development or reading draft applications \nWe’re offering these sessions in person at Chalkwell Hall\, as well as the option to discuss your work with us online. There is one session available per artist and the slots are 1 hour long. If you would like for your session to be online\, please contact us directly via phone or email to confirm and we will arrange a video link. \nBook a free slot here. \nSee the full Essex Writers Programme here. \nWho is the offer for?\nOur Open Advice Sessions are open to writers artists and creatives working in any artform\, at any stage of their career. Individuals\, collaborations or collectives can book a slot.\nAny artist that has previously booked a slot with us won’t be eligible this time.\nYou must live or work in\, or have a strong connection to South Essex (Basildon\, Brentwood\, Castle Point\, Rochford\, Southend-on-Sea\, Thurrock) \nAbout the Southend team\nIn Southend\, we have a wide range of expertise and practices from art history\, museums and heritage\, to fashion and video art. We have strong skills around project management\, event production and between us\, a thorough understanding of the creative ecosystem in South Essex. We are interested in supporting projects and ideas which have a strong social and/or social justice purpose and are interested in broadening diversity in the sector. We have skills around participatory practice and co-design and are keen to support practitioners in building connections with the wider community. We are able to offer a range of support from funding applications and business planning to connecting and marketing. Learn more about our Southend site and our access in the space here. \nAbout Camilla Balshaw\nCamilla Balshaw is an award-winning author. She has been published in numerous journals\, and her essays have featured in the Guardian\, Therapy Today and the Observer. Camilla’s debut memoir\, Named: A Story Of Names And Reclaiming Who We Are (2025)\, has been described by Diana Evans as a ‘valuable meditation on the origins of what we call ourselves\, packed full of rich storytelling’ and by Bonnie Burke-Patel as an ‘utterly fascinating\, insightful and meaningful memoir.’ In 2025\, Namedwon the best Memoir & Biography category in the East Anglian Book Awards.
URL:https://metalculture.com/whats-on/ewh-open-advice-sessions-with-camilla-balshaw/
LOCATION:Metal Southend\, Chalkwell Hall\, Chalkwell Avenue\, Southend on Sea\, Essex\, SS08NB\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Southend
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://metalculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Camilla-Balshaw.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260624T190000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260624T210000
DTSTAMP:20260615T094346Z
CREATED:20260512T141212Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T094346Z
UID:24956-1782327600-1782334800@metalculture.com
SUMMARY:EWH: Writing and the Power of Language: In conversation with Camilla Balshaw\, Emily Abdeni-Holman and Boakye D. Alpha
DESCRIPTION:Join us for an evening with the National Centre for Writing’s Escalator Writers Emily Abdeni-Holman and Boakye D. Alpha\, in conversation with award-winning author Camilla Balshaw about writing and the power of language\, with discussion rooted in cultural histories\, oppression and identity. \nFree. Book your tickets here. \nSee the full Essex Writers Programme here. \nThe panel: \nCamilla Balshaw is an award-winning author. She has been published in numerous journals\, and her essays have featured in the Guardian\, Therapy Today and the Observer. Camilla’s debut memoir\, Named: A Story of Names and Reclaiming Who We Are (2025)\, has been described by Diana Evans as a ‘valuable meditation on the origins of what we call ourselves\, packed full of rich storytelling’ and by Bonnie Burke-Patel as an ‘utterly fascinating\, insightful and meaningful memoir.’ In 2025\, Named won the best Memoir & Biography category in the East Anglian Book Awards. \nNamed is a fascinating exploration of names\, global naming conventions and identity politics woven into a moving\, personal narrative about the finding of family and self. At the intersection of memoir and social and cultural history it is a truly fascinating book about the seemingly ordinary and every day. \nEmily Abdeni-Holman was raised in England and Lebanon\, and is particularly interested in crossing-points\, of identities\, languages\, and places. She enjoys experimenting with different kinds of style and form and is currently working on a couple of projects: a collection of short stories\, mostly converging around Lebanon; and a more hybrid work about Arab-European identity\, pre- and post-October 2023. \nHer first book\, Body Tectonic\, on Lebanon’s socioeconomic crisis\, is an experiment in approaching structural disaster through poetry (Broken Sleep Books\, 2024). In 2025\, she was one of five writers shortlisted for the BBC National Short Story Award. \nBoakye D. Alpha is a Ghanaian interdisciplinary creative whose works include poetry\, prose\, screenplays\, creative nonfiction\, and filmmaking. His writing has appeared in Lolwe\, The Shallow Tales Review\, and elsewhere. In 2025\, his short story was longlisted for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Although a versatile writer\, his heart lies in literary fiction\, and continues to explore experimental\, layered narratives that provoke reflection on society and the experiences of underrepresented voices. \nHis work in progress explores the reality for some women in Ghana who endure violence and systemic oppression rooted in superstition. Through intergenerational narratives\, the novel exposes the haunting effects of gendered violence.
URL:https://metalculture.com/whats-on/ewh-writing-and-the-power-of-language-in-conversation-with-camilla-balshaw-emily-addeni-holman-and-boakye-d-alpha/
LOCATION:Metal Southend\, Chalkwell Hall\, Chalkwell Avenue\, Southend on Sea\, Essex\, SS08NB\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Southend
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://metalculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/National-Centre-for-Writings-Esculator-writers-Emily-Abdeni-Holman-and-Boakye-D.-Alpha-In-conversation-with-award-winning-author-Camilla-Balshaw-1.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260627T100000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260627T170000
DTSTAMP:20260617T154029Z
CREATED:20260617T154029Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260617T154029Z
UID:25131-1782554400-1782579600@metalculture.com
SUMMARY:A Poet in Every Port – Day 2
DESCRIPTION:We’re shining a spotlight on Southend’s coastal stories as part of A Poet in Every Port – a national initiative celebrating the UK’s diverse dialects and languages\, marking Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary. We’re partnering with Southbank Centre as one of 11 coastal hosts welcoming the mobile National Poetry Library! On 27–28 June\, Chalkwell Hall will come alive with poetry and creativity. \nThe mobile poetry library will be parked in Chalkwell Park\, outside of Chalkwell Hall where Essex Writers House will also be taking place\, on Saturday 27 – Sunday 28 June. Across the weekend\, as well as exploring the poetry bus\, you can get involved in free workshops and poetry readings. See the timings and details below. \nSunday 28 June \n– 10am – 12pm: Workshops with specially selected community groups\n– 12pm – 1pm: Workshops for all (open to the general public)\n– 1pm – 2pm: Lunchtime performance slot (local writers and members of the public invited to read their poem)\n– 2pm – 4pm: Workshops for all (open to the general public)\n– 4pm – 5pm: Final performance slot (local writers and members of the public invited to read their poems) \nCheck out what’s happening on Saturday 27 June here.
URL:https://metalculture.com/whats-on/a-poet-in-every-port-day-2/
LOCATION:Metal Southend\, Chalkwell Hall\, Chalkwell Avenue\, Southend on Sea\, Essex\, SS08NB\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Southend
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://metalculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/1080-x-1080-3.png
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DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260627T100000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260627T210000
DTSTAMP:20260617T154056Z
CREATED:20260617T152553Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260617T154056Z
UID:25127-1782554400-1782594000@metalculture.com
SUMMARY:A Poet in Every Port - Day 1
DESCRIPTION:We’re shining a spotlight on Southend’s coastal stories as part of A Poet in Every Port – a national initiative celebrating the UK’s diverse dialects and languages\, marking Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary. We’re partnering with Southbank Centre as one of 11 coastal hosts welcoming the mobile National Poetry Library! On 27–28 June\, Chalkwell Hall will come alive with poetry and creativity. \nThe mobile poetry library will be parked in Chalkwell Park\, outside of Chalkwell Hall where Essex Writers House will also be taking place\, on Saturday 27 – Sunday 28 June. Across the weekend\, as well as exploring the poetry bus\, you can get involved in free workshops and poetry readings. See the timings and details below. \nSaturday 27 June \n– 10am – 12pm: Workshops with specially selected community groups\n– 12pm – 1pm: Workshops for all (open to the general public)\n– 1pm – 2pm: Lunchtime performance slot (local writers and members of the public invited to read their poem)\n– 2pm – 5pm: Workshops for all (open to the general public)\n– 7pm – 9pm: Poet Social: Evening event inside Chalkwell Hall\, curated by Maddi Crease \nBook your free ticket for the Poet Social HERE \nCheck out what’s happening on Sunday 28 June here.
URL:https://metalculture.com/whats-on/a-poet-in-every-port-day-1/
LOCATION:Metal Southend\, Chalkwell Hall\, Chalkwell Avenue\, Southend on Sea\, Essex\, SS08NB\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Southend
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://metalculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/1080-x-1080-3.png
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