Performance, Ritual, Magic Workshop

In this interdisciplinary workshop, we will explore the context of early medieval magic and ritual writing that surrounds the poem ‘Wulf and Eadwacer’: from the Old English herbal charms to the pan-European tradition of ‘Women’s Songs’ in Old High German, to the Old Norse galdr and runic inscriptions. What do poetry and the history of magical language have in common? How might terms like ‘charm’ and ‘spell’ alter and complicate our own ‘poems’ and the ways in which we translate them into the voice and body? Discussion of modern and contemporary texts by poets and artists including Maggie O’Sullivan and Linda Stupart will invite us to think about how the forms of instruction, procedure, wordplay and mythical symbolism can inform contemporary writing. As with our previous workshops, no prior experience with medieval languages, poetry, theatre or performance is necessary. This will be a relaxed and collaborative space where we can take a playful approach to what our writing might be.

Maisie is a Bristol-based director, choreographer and visual artist. She was recently an associate artist for Gecko Theatre’s ‘The Wedding’. Her work has been presented and supported by companies and venues including Bristol Old Vic, Bristol Ferment, Tobacco Factory Theatres, Headlong Theatre, Hauser and Wirth Somerset, Arnolfini, Gecko Theatre, The Egg Theatre, Theatre Deli and Camden Peoples Theatre.

Rowan is a poet, composer and sound artist whose recent books include The Last Verses of Beccán (Guillemot Press, 2019) and cante jondo mixtape (If a Leaf Falls Press, 2017). He received an Eric Gregory Award in 2015 and a selection of his work appears in Penguin Modern Poets 7: These Hard and Shining Things (Penguin, 2018).