Give Poetry A Chance (GPAC) began, by Dan Cullinan’s own admission, without any grand plan to become a Liverpool poetry institution. He started writing poems as thoughts in the notes section of his phone and had never intended to become a poet, let alone an event organiser. Yet since 2019, Give Poetry A Chance has developed into a regular platform for Liverpool’s poetry community, bringing together established voices, emerging writers and audiences in an environment that feels deliberately different from the conventional poetry night.
On 14 October, Give Poetry A Chance returns to one of Liverpool’s very best watering holes – The Ship & Mitre – for a special Poetry on the Fringe event, celebrating five years of Poetry on the Fringe alongside the 10th anniversary of the Liverpool Fringe Festival.
For Dan, the appeal of Give Poetry A Chance has always been its openness. He had never actually attended a poetry event before starting one himself, so he simply created the kind of night he imagined a poetry event should be. The result, he says, was something audiences responded to. “I’ve had people come up to me afterwards and tell me they felt really comfortable coming to my events and that they felt it was different from other poetry nights they’d been to.”
That sense of personality remains at the heart of Give Poetry A Chance. Dan describes the events as an extension of himself, including the mistakes, quirks, occasional stumbling over his words and silliness. Even the personalised posters created for individual events have become part of that identity.
The Poetry on the Fringe format has also developed for this particular evening. Rather than simply moving from poet to poet, the night will be divided into three segments, with four poets in each. Every poet will have five minutes to perform before taking part in a Q&A, giving audiences an opportunity to discover something about the person behind the poetry. Fellow poets will also be able to ask questions. Comperes on the night will be Louise Evans, Laura Ferries and Dan Cullinan himself.
It is a format that reflects something Dan has learned during his years around Liverpool’s poetry community: different voices matter. “I think having a mixture of voices is really important because different people bring different ideas, perspectives and experiences,” he says. “They can challenge us, create different dynamics and give us the opportunity to learn from one another.”
Since 2019, Dan has witnessed significant changes in the way Liverpool’s poetry community operates. The pandemic brought poetry to a wider audience, while social media has made it possible to experience performances through video, photography and livestreaming. Yet, despite that increased online presence, he believes the appetite for a genuinely live, communal experience remains.
That is perhaps where GPAC is at its most interesting. Poetry can be intimate, raw and honest, says Dan, but it doesn’t have to be serious. It can be funny, raise awareness, explore social justice, tell stories or simply make somebody feel something.
And importantly, the door remains open to people who might not normally consider themselves part of a poetry audience. “Poetry is for everybody, and anybody can be a poet,” Dan concludes.
For October’s Poetry on the Fringe, that philosophy feels particularly appropriate. Expect a mixture of styles, backgrounds and perspectives, a new opportunity to hear more from the performers, and an evening that is as much about discovering people as discovering poetry. Give poetry a chance, indeed.
A Give Poetry A Chance Event at The Fringe
14 October
The Ship & Mitre, 133 Dale Street, Liverpool L2 2JH
Doors 1900, Free Entry (Upstairs)
