aug. 12 to 14 2011

Three days of songwriting genius, spell-binding poetry and cutting edge spoken word…

Imagine you’ve been shipwrecked on a desert island. Either your entire record collection or all the books you own will be washed ashore. Which would you rather it was? Or could you not possibly choose between the two?

Phrased & Confused takes words and music – poets and musicians - and mixes them up to create wordy delights for music lovers and secret wordsmiths alike. It’s not necessarily big or clever, but it is a whole lot of fun…

Over three days at Summer Sundae, Phrased & Confused will be showcasing some of the UK’s finest songwriters, MCs that will blow your mind and fill your heart and poets and wordsmiths who will raise smiles and warm souls in equal measure. Our aim? To introduce you to something or someone new that you’ll go on to treasure and tell the world about. After all, isn’t that what festivals are all about?

This year there’s no escaping us! You can find us across the Summer Sundae site; each day we’ll be spreading lyrical goodness across the Comedy Tent, the Bandstand and our new P&C Shhh Library Tent in the Garden area. Watch out too for some special P&C performances on the Rising Stage. As usual, we’ve put together a whole host of lyrical and lyric-based games, competitions, podcasts and artist talks, so keep an eye out for our team on site and come and get involved; those of you who know us of old know we’re a friendly bunch! Don’t forget to donate a word to, and enter, our ‘Fridge Poetry’ competition too.

And of course, P&C wouldn’t be P&C without our famous USB wristbands! They’ve been such a hit in previous years we’ve brought them back this year. Aren’t we lovely?!

The perfect opportunity to take the festival experience home with you, this year’s wristband includes tracks by Boo Hewerdine, Ana Silvera, Sam Carter, Ben Mellor, Anthony Joseph and Shane Solanki, as well as information about our artists and their work. We generally run out by Saturday morning, so get ‘em while you can - from our Shhh Library Tent.

So, if you thought you knew what performance poetry and spoken word was all about, think again! Phrased & Confused are here to give your mind and ears a lovely lyrical, musical and poetical treat! Check out the timetable on the back cover for our full programme, read more about our incredible artists and the shows we have on offer, and get plotting your weekend!

Happy camping!

Keep up to date on P&C at www.phrasedandconfused.co.uk Befriend us on Facebook/phrasedandconfused and Follow Us @phrandconfused

a F Harrold One time poet-in-residence at Glasto, A F Harrold stands out amongst the literary greats for once being physically ejected from Greggs – for attempting a guerrilla poetry performance next to the doughnuts. Expect songs, poems and general observations about everyday life, all skewed through the A F Harrold prism. And check out that beard!

ana Silvera Exquisitely crafted, beautiful songwriting. With a recent run of sold out shows at the Roundhouse and live performances on BBC Radio 3, 2011 is set to be this virtuosic songwriter and multi-instrumentalist’s year. A must see!

antHony JoSepH Poet,novelist and musician Anthony Joseph is equally at home fronting the Spasm Band as he is writing and performing. Anthony brings a special solo performance to Phrased and Confused prior to a string of dates in Europe. Want more of his magic? Check out his Bird Head Son collection and his brilliant first novel, The African Origin of UFOs.

Ben & alFie Despite still being in their early teens Ben & Alfie have already worked with the likes of Seckou Keita and opened for Seth Lakeman. Their original, eclectic blend of music and words fuses classical instrumental skill with distinctive jazz, folk and world influences. Add inventive, thought-provoking poetry and a clear sense of theatre, and you have Ben & Alfie. We think these guys are the real deal.

Boo Hewerdine Simply a genius, genius songwriter, we love Boo! Since appearing two decades or so ago with cult band ‘The Bible’, Boo Hewerdine has become the stuff of songwriting legend, and is also heavily in demand as a producer. A brilliantly warm performer, his songs are guaranteed to pull at the heart strings of even the most hardened festival goer. Did we mention we love him?!

cluB o Hard to believe that one family could offer up so much soul and songwriting brilliance, but they do! Guaranteed to reduce the loudest festival tent to a hushed awe, Club O’s intimate sound is something very, very special. Club O features the hugely talented 13 year old singer songwriter Mahalia and 16 year old lyricist Zane (aka Skitza). Mum and dad Debbion and James aren’t bad either! We’re dead chuffed they’ve agreed to be part of P&C.

JeSS green The fastest rising star on the spoken word scene? Possibly. Hailed by Holdfire Press as “an exciting young poet whose poetry startles on the page but really come to life in her performances”, we reckon Jess’ own blend of wit, wisdom, warmth and political bite will totally win you over.

JoHn BerkavitcH The angry young man of the poetry scene, John has a passionate distaste for authority. Luckily for all of us, this comes out in the wash as a furiously-paced, hybrid kind of rap and beat boxing, full of ironic wit, on-the-money social observation and lyrical dexterity. A blistering performer.

mark gwynne JoneSWhether performing solo, or with his band Psychicbread, Mark Gwynne Jones uses poetry, music and humour as a route to our hearts and minds. The result is contagious, gritty and sometimes startingly sensitive - the kind of potent mix which is just right for a Victorian bandstand we think!

poeticat “Last year’s favourite” (according to the 2011 Glasto programme), PoetiCat are earthy, raw, powerful and original. Driven by Cat Martindale’s honest, witty and provocative poetry, the band sound is full of electric riffs and pulsing beats. Not to be missed, especially if you liked Sound of Rum last time we were here.

roger roBinSon Internationally known for the power, honesty and impact of his work, Roger was recently recognised by Decibel as one of the top 50 writers who have influenced Black British writing over the last 50 years. It’s great to have him join us at Summer Sundae and we’re sure his wry observations, crackling with wit and intelligence, will inspire us all to sit up, listen and start scribbling.

Sam carterWinner of the Horizon Award for best newcomer at the BBC Folk Awards 2010, Sam is the one to watch on the folk scene. Simply startling, a beautiful lyricist, and a real folk talent wise beyond his years.

phrased & confused presents... Gil Scott - Heron — Pieces of the Man (in association with London Literature Lounge and Apples and Snakes) There would be no Phrased & Confused if there hadn’t first of all been Gil Scott-Heron. Poets and musicians from across the P&C programme come together to celebrate the God-like genius of the late, much missed poet and musician, often credited with ‘inventing’ rap.

Fridge Poetry — Hosted by AF Harrold Join us for the ever popular finale of the fridge po-etry competition, hosted this year by A F Harrold. Want to take part? We’ll announce the five words you must use in your lyric/poem on Saturday at 1pm, and the deadline for entries is mid day Sunday! Get writing! The T S Eliot Poetry Prize has nothing on this...

The Shhh LibraryThe Shhh library tent is our new Phrased & Confused space this year in Summer Sundae’s Curiosity Corner – so make sure you drop in throughout the day. Taking as its basis the mobile library of yester year, re-modelled for a festival generation, the P&C Shhh zone will be a quieter more chilled out space.

Throughout the day there will be various programmed activities – including the P&C podcast (a daily chat show), interviews with performers (cunningly called The Librarian meets...) as well as artists reading from their favourite books on music, lyrics and protest. Oh and their might be a Victorian detective story or two thrown in too! Being a library you’ll be able to browse our book collection, especially curated for us by our partners Leicester Libraries, make a protest placard or just simply sit and chill! But watch out ...there might be a deviant librarian or two about!

London Literature Lounge with Apples and Snakes presents

voiceS oF intent You wouldn’t expect anything less than a potent mix of words and music from the London Literature Lounge. It’s a real stellar line up for P&C, including poets Anjan Saha, Michelle Hubbard and Roger Robinson with music supplied by double bassist Liran Donin, guitarist Geoff Garbow and DJ Gazz.

word! poetS WORD! is the East Midland’s longest running poetry and spoken word night, and has nurtured some real talent. This showcase features some of WORD!’S favourite performers, including Tim Bomdog, Lydia Towsey, Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze, Kishan Anand and Mombowie Starchild. Do check ‘em out; these guys know their stuff!

Keep up to date on P&C at www.phrasedandconfused.co.uk Befriend us on Facebook/phrasedandconfused and Follow Us @phrandconfused

laura dockrill According to Vogue, ‘Everyone’s falling for Laura Dockrill’, and it’s no wonder she was named one of the top ten literary talents

by The Times and one of the top twenty hot faces to watch by Elle. Laura’s new piece, called ‘Obey’, is a celebration – in

Laura’s beautifully observed own way – of the blamed, the left-out, and the uninvited and forgotten members of our society. Laura sees protest in the everyday; from a four-year-old girl refusing to eat her peas at the dinner table, to an alcoholic avoiding real life. The three mini pieces

she has created – ‘Sebastian’, ‘Nan’s Yard’ and ‘Row 3’ – each take you inside a very personal form of protest. At times poignant and others truly laugh out loud funny, ‘Obey’ promises to be really special.

Ben mellorA firm favourite amongst P&C audiences, Ben is an award winning slam poet and co-founder of hip-hop and theatre collective ‘Pen-ultimate’. ‘This Poem Is On Strike’ asks the question ‘What would Poetry say if it could protest? What would Music’s message be if it could sing its own song?’ Exploring the uses and abuses of poetry and music across the decade, this is a playful, musical look at the political effect that art can have. Will music and poetry prevail? Can t hey be bothered? Come along and find out! Joining Ben on the poetry picket line are Leonie Higgins and Dan Steele, co-conspirators in a new outfit called Geddes Loom, who you can also catch on the Rising Stage on Sunday!

SHane SolankiA prolific artist and poet whose work revolves around text, comedy, theatre, and music. Shane has collaborated with some of the UK’s most innovative artists and producers, including Talvin Singh, Arun Ghosh and Don Letts. Shane’s piece, called ‘Bipolar’, is a searingly honest, surprisingly humourous and intimate piece that explores the sensitive topic of mental health. Shane’s comic monologue, explores how it’s possible to stay happy and

healthy when the word is full of confusion and paradox. If you like your humour dark, and with some hip hop beatbox leanings, this is for you....

For the past two months, four very special acts have been hard at work creating brand new music and words especially for this year’s Summer Sundae. Expect four very personal takes on the ‘protest’ theme – from a four year old’s refusal to eat their peas to a poem that goes on strike! Ladies and gentlemen, please give it up for our commissioned artists...

yuSra warSama Yusra is a performance poet, actor and workshop leader. She’s also a mother, Somali, Muslim and Mancunian – all of which inform her work and her new piece for Summer Sundae is no exception. Powerful, emotive and gritty ‘Street Prophets’ asks us ‘What if Marcus Garvey was your local shop keeper? What if Tu Pac was a 70 year old man in subsidized housing for the elderly? What if Martin Luther King was just an old man who walks past you in the street, muttering truths to himself?’ Welcome to Moss Side, Manchester, where all these people reside. Sarah has to go back to the ‘hood’ she spent a life time trying to escape but on holiday from Uni and with no money, she has to go back. Will she remember who she was by listening to these street prophets? Or will she just continue trying to fit in?

For phrased & confused...Our Summer Sundae outing is just the start for Phrased & Confused this year, so do not despair, you can continue to bathe in our warm wordy waters long after the mud has dried on your wellies!

Phrased & Confused at Interrogate!, Dartington, 23-25 September Phrased & Confused is delighted to be part of Interrogate!, the UK’s first ever festival of social justice and the arts. Ben Mellor, Shane Solanki and Yusra Warsama, three of our 2011 commissioned artists, will be presenting their new protest themed work. We’ll also be hosting the Interrogate! Cabaret, compered by P&C favourite Stuart Silver, and featuring, amongst others, another P&C favourite – Inua Ellams – who is in situ at the festival as Interrogate! poet in residence. Through performance, debate, comedy, film, music, workshops, podcasts and ideas, Interrogate! is about inspiring people – and P&C delighted to be right there in the mix! Find out more at www.phrasedandconfused.co.uk and www.dartington.org/interrogate

Phrased, Confused and Angry! Contact, Manchester - 23rd NovemberThe UK premiere of our Phrased, Confused and Angry! Show, featuring our four commissioned artists: Laura Dockrill, Ben Mellor, Shane Solanki and Yusra Warsama. Taking as a starting point the work they’ve created for Summer Sundae, this new show will be directed by Stuart Silver.

at Summer Sundae Weekendergregor Barth

John Fowell

Hannah Heppenstall

Matthew Linley

Julia Payne

gemma Scott

Stuart Silver

andi Studer

Helga Valentine-Johnson

Tom Valentine-Johnson

Keith allott – filming supportKate unwin - stage, library space and generally lovely design

A BIG PHRASED & CONFUSED THANK YOU TO...Jenny Harris, Phrased & Confused producer – she might not be here in person but boy has she put in the hours before the festival! Big big thanks to her!

David Cross, Sarah Sanders and Charles Beckett from arts Council England for their help, support and care

Rob, Stephanie, Francesca and all the CODA team

The wonderful DMH team

anjan Saha (London Literature Lounge) and Lydia Towsey (WORD!) for programming support and advice

alison Dunne from the Leicester Libraries Team

Richard Haswell and Esther Simpson for help, contacts and beds!

We are Laura for designing our lovely website and fanzine

the hub (www.thehubuk.com) for getting us this far and encouraging us to take the stabilisers off and become an independent company

And of course a special thank you to all our artists without whom P&C would not be what it is

PHRaSED & CONFuSED

Keep up to date on P&C at www.phrasedandconfused.co.uk Befriend us on Facebook/phrasedandconfused and Follow Us @phrandconfused

Leicester Librarieswww.leicester.gov.uk/libraries

Friday 12th 13.00 Shhh Library opens

13.15 BEN MELLOR, LAURA DOCKRILL and YUSRA WARSAMA preview new work for Summer Sundae Weekender.Comedy Tent

14.45 WORD! LYDIA TOWSEY, JEAN ‘BINTA’ BREEZE, ZEROPENCE & MOMBOWIE STARCHILD (MC)Comedy Tent

15.30 POETICATBandstand

16.00 JOHN BERKAVITCHBandstand

16.35 MARK GWYNNE JONESBandstand

17.10 ANTHONY JOSEPHBandstand

17.45 P&C PodcastShhh Library

18:30 CAT MARTINDALE reads...Shhh Library

19.00 Shhh Library closes

Sunday 14th 11.00 Shhh library opens

11.00 A F HARROLD (family show)Comedy Tent

11.30 WORD! — TIM BOMBDOG, MOMBOWIE STARCHILD, JEAN ‘BINTA’ BREEZE AND LYDIA TOWSEY (MC)Comedy Tent

11.30 Family Protest — Make your family placard! Shhh Library

12.10 YUSRA WARSAMA – ‘STrEET PrOPHETS’ SHANE SOLANKI – ‘BiPOlAr’ (P&C commissions for Summer Sundae)Comedy Tent

12.50 JESS GREEN Comedy Tent

13.10 The P&C Pub QuizShhh Library

14.00 P&C PodcastShhh Library

14.45 GEDDES LOOM with BEN MELLOR Rising Stage 15.00 The Shhh Library Choir Workshop with ANA SILVERAShhh Library

16.00 The Librarian meets... BOO HEWERDINEShhh Library

17.00 Fridge Poetry FinalBandstand

17.30 CLUB O Bandstand

18.00 ANA SILVERA Bandstand

18.15 A F HARROLD readsShhh Library

18.30 BOO HEWERDINEBandstand

19.00 Shhh library closes

printed on 100% recycled paper

Saturday 13th 11.00 Shhh Library opens

11.30 What’s Your Words Worth — a panel quizShhh Library

12.30 LAURA DOCKRILLRising Stage 13.15 P&C PodcastShhh Library

13.30 JOHN BERKAVITCH (family show)Comedy Tent

14.00 Family Protest — Make your family placard! Shhh Library

14.10 VOICES OF INTENT featuring ANJAN SAHA, MICHELLE HUBBARD AND ROGER ROBINSONComedy Tent 14.50 LAURA DOCKRILL –‘OBEy’ BEN MELLOR – ‘THiS POEm iS On STrikE’ (P&C commissions for Summer Sundae) Comedy Tent

15.45 GIL SCOTT-HERON – PIECES OF THE MAN, a tributeComedy Tent

16.00 The Librarian meets...SAM CARTER Shhh Library

17.00 SHANE SOLANKI & BELLATRIxBandstand

17.30 SAM CARTERBandstand

18.00 ROGER ROBINSON Bandstand

18.30 BEN & ALFIEBandstand

19.00 ANJAN SAHA reads Shhh Library

19.30 Shhh library closes

Principal Funder

Programme Partners