Hosted at the SLQS Gallery, Refractions is a two-hour evening of poetry reflecting on how identity is shaped through culture, memory, desire, gender, sexuality, and lived experience. Refractions invites us to think of identity as a prism: shifting and multifaceted, catching different lights through the voices and stories we share. Responding to [insert] the solo exhibition of Pei-Yi Tsai, the event features five invited poets alongside five open-mic performers (see below to apply), creating space for both established and emerging voices to explore the many ways we express who we are.
Are you a poet whose work explores the shifting facets of identity? For our upcoming night at SLQS Gallery, we are seeking 5 open-mic performers to share their work alongside 5 selected headliners.
We are looking for poems that speak to themes of identity in all its forms, including but not limited to queerness, sexuality, culture, memory, and the "prism of the self."
Set at SLQS Gallery, the theme of the night engages with the work of Pei-Yi Tsai, an artist from Taipei, Taiwan who works and lives in London. Tsai’s work navigates the subtle intersections of visibility, embodied presence, and interiority by tracing the tensions of social expectation, belonging, and queer identity.
We will select five poets in advance for a confirmed slot and leave five open to draw from the hat on the night.
Click here to apply and to find out more about our criteria. Deadline is on Monday 20 April.
We particularly encourage applications from LGBTQ+, Global Majority, and neurodivergent voices.
“How does your identity shift in different lights?”
We can’t wait to hear your voices!