Art:up Poetry - Radical Islands

Ethan & Babalon Anon, has cultivated a banging poetry night at HOT BOX. We're delighted to be involved in the Art:Up! project, & will host the next event. There will be a book of selected works, & the final showcase event will be part of the 2026 Essex Book Festival.

The theme for this leg is Radical Islands. You can pen a poem by yourself or collabrate. If you want to collaborate & have a collaborator then great, if you need to find one then drop poetry@hotboxlive.co.uk a line & we'll get the ball rolling.

When thinking about the word Island, it can be one of the 35 islands around the Essex coastline, or maybe Mesopotamia Island in Chelmsford. I often think of HOT BOX as one of a few creative Islands in Chelmsford, let your minds wander.

This event is part of Being Human Festival, the UK’s national festival of the humanities, taking place 6-15 November 2025. Led by the School of Advanced Study, University of London, with generous support from Research England, in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council & the British Academy. For further information please see beinghumanfestival.org

At the 1st event HOT BOX poets Ethan Stewart & Babalon Anon launched the show and eco-poet Linden K McMahon headlined. 15 poets performed and Babalon Anon commented that "there is no diversity without neurodiversity".

Art:Up! is a joint initiative between ARU, Waxes Lyrical at HotBox in Chelmsford, Poetry Plus in Manningtree & Boho Banter in Clacton-On-Sea.

Presented by Dr. Jordan Savage ARU Art:Up!

Under 16 to be accompanied by a responsible adult