At the top of Church Street in Eccles lies the newly rebranded 96 Degrees, which has recently debuted its new open-mic poetry night.
Every second Thursday of the month, 96 Degrees Eccles is to be overrun with creativity, being a community-hub for those seeking an outlet for their writing.
And the hubs debut night was on Thursday 12 June, so I decided to attend to get a taste for Eccles’ creative scene – I was not disappointed.
Inside the soulful and quirky café flocked a diverse crowd of writers and performers. Newcomers and experienced poets alike gathered for the debut of the monthly open mic night, with poetry readings lasting over two hours.
The opening night’s turnout delighted the organisers Chris Platt and his parents, Ester and Dennis Platt.
Brimming with writers, the energy inside the venue only built as the night went on.
Performances started off nervously, but as more poems came the microphone seemed less intimidating, with almost a dozen writers volunteering before the evening concluded. The variety in writing echoed the diversity in the crowd, covering topics such as mental health, class and identity, with more comedic, often vulgar, poems lightening the tone of the evening.
The writers and their material were fantastic, speaking on relatable issues for many in the crowd, such as addiction, financial struggles and depression.
And it allowed many of the poets to befriend each other before the night ended, bonding over their shared passion for the arts and ability to let out their feelings with poems.
I never expected highlight of the night for me to come with the sixth person to claim the microphone. A short, older woman in a long black dress took the stage, and introduced herself as Joy.
She began discussing her experiences with writing: she spoke on “finding her voice” in her fifties, negative stereotypes surrounding older women, and with a beautifully written poem, touched on beauty standards and how young people view aging.
She then donned a unicorn mask- without a horn- and began rapping.
At nearly 70 years old, Joy France is a successful battle rapper who began her career as in 2018, and is now on a quest to dispel stereotypes around older, white-haired women.
“As a woman, when you get older you become invisible,” Joy said, recounting her experiences in reclaiming her voice and life, beginning in her fifties when she aimed to do 60 new things before turning 60. Now, she is trying to the same, but with 70 new experiences.
Explaining why her mask lacked a horn, Joy said something that seemed to encapsulate her entire identity as a creative, she said: “Not all unicorns are glittery and magical, some of them have lived. They’ve had a hard time.”
You can listen to Joy’s rap here- but be warned it does contain some earthy language.
Another attendee and performer James Harrogate, from Salford, began writing after a period of homelessness as a way to express and reflect on his feelings, and found poetry an invaluable tool in improving both his mental health, and life.
He said: “If rock bottom had a basement I was in it. Writing gets rid of the poison in your mind, it lets you look back on what you’re thinking.”
James’ poetry reflected the adversity he overcame, as did many others throughout the evening. George, another of the night’s poets, similarly uses writing as an outlet for his emotions, attending a variety of literary groups throughout Salford and Bolton.
He began writing in 2023, as a way to improve his mental health, before he “got the bug,” and began taking part in community events. George emphasised the importance of creative spaces as “vital,” before adding: “No matter what you’re going through, start writing. Whether it’s a story, prose, poetry or whatever, just get it all out.”
After eleven different performers and a plethora of poems, raps and ramblings- the night came to an end. The room was buzzing with creative energy- attendees, organisers and 96 Degrees staff agreed the debut was a success.
The open mic nights will run monthly, every second Thursday at 7pm, with all involved hopeful the attendance and enthusiasm continue – more information can be found here.
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