62 Gladstone Street present a workshop led by Oloyede Michael: participants will blend improvisation, storytelling, and performance to create original pieces that celebrate us!
Co-commissioned and presented as part of the Platforma Festival (October 2025), produced by Counterpoints Arts.
Discover the powerful synergy of sound and word in Roots & Rhythm, a vibrant workshop exploring the soulful world of Afro-Jazz and Poetry. This immersive experience invites musicians, poets, and curious creatives to explore the rhythm of African jazz traditions alongside the lyrical depth of spoken word.
Led by Peterborough-based poet Oloyede Michael, participants will blend improvisation, storytelling, and performance to create original pieces that celebrate identity, heritage, and self-expression. Whether you’re a budding poet or a seasoned saxophonist, come ready to vibe, write, and jam.
No prior experience needed—just bring your voice and your rhythm.
Oloyede Michael Taiwo is a poet, storyteller, copywriter, scriptwriter, screen-writer spoken-word artiste, playwright, producer and philomath. Based in Peterborough, the Lagos-born artist wrote and produced the play, ‘Wrinkles, dimples, naira and bets’, during the Lagos Theatre Festival, 2020, in partnership with the British council. He has performed in several literary events and one of the largest gospel concert in Lagos – Cross Concert. He curates diverse didactic and literary events, such as: Learning with celebrities’ conference, Lagos poetrython, Fireflies & Bumblebees and the Lagospoetrython spoken word academy. He has been shortlisted for the Etisalat prize for Flash fiction and long listed for the Quramo writer’s prize for literature and was a Peterborough Poet Laureate finalist.
About Platforma in Peterborough
Platforma 2025 in Peterborough is produced by 62 Gladstone Street, a community-rooted arts space in the heart of Peterborough with a particular focus on supporting South Asian and MENA artists. Through exhibitions, residencies, and public programmes, it provides a vital platform for underrepresented voices and fosters meaningful dialogue between artists and the wider community.
Partners: Counterpoints Arts, Landmark Theatres, Peterborough Cultural Alliance, Metal Peterborough, Peterborough Presents, Peterborough Museum, HELP Charity & the Aziz Foundation
Dedication: “Our programme is dedicated to the innocent men, women, and children who have lost their lives, those who have been displaced by war, and all those seeking a safe place to call home.”
62 Gladstone Street’s Platforma programme is supported by Arts Council England as and presented as part of the wider Platforma Festival across the East of England, produced by Counterpoints Arts.
