Hi, everyone!
I hope you’re all staying dry and cosy during this wet and cold weather.
It’s been a big week here with The Inkubator kicking off at our home Lost in Leith on Tuesday, April 2. Thank you to everyone who signed up! I can’t wait to see what this course brings us.
At The Inkubator and the Chicken Coop, a few people have been asking where they can share their work, so...
Here’s a list of places to perform (or listen to other people’s words, if you’re not ready to share with an audience yet).
For this starter list, I’m sticking to Edinburgh, because that’s where The Good Egg Project is based. But there are many open mics and events to explore across Scotland in Glasgow, Stirling, and Falkirk (to mention a few places).
I’ve also opted to leave out evenings that require performers to pay for tickets. The bottom line is, I disagree with the practice. But I’m happy to see more events, like Candlelight open mic, are offering free performer tickets, which means low or no-income performers (and other underserved groups) are still able to access events and connect with other writers in our communities. This is vital to keeping our industry accessible and allows everyone to thrive or find support and connection when they need it.
I’ve left out curated nights that don’t share open calls as well. The best way to enquire about performing and getting involved is to go be part of the audience or perform at open mics to show producers and promoters what you can do. (That’s been the best way to get booked in my experience!)
Now, without further ado, here are a few community favourites to get you started…
Mixed arts events
Here mixed arts refers to events that welcome multiple art forms including spoken word, poetry, music, storytelling, prose and more
August_21’s open mic is weekly on Wednesdays. You can share poetry, prose, music, storytelling, and more. Find out more about their dates and sign-ups on their Instagram.
Spoken word artist Rosie Jo Hunter hosts monthly mixed arts night Juicy Bits at Paradise Palms. They’ve welcomed musicians, comedians, DJs, spoken word artists, and poets to their stage. Juicy Bits holds open calls for artists and announces events on Instagram.
Lost in Leith presents: Spoken Word and Music is on the third Sunday of the month at our home Lost in Leith. Get updates through host Anita Govan or via Lost in Leith’s Instagram and Facebook events.
Sad Song Club is a fortnightly mixed arts open mic at Sketchy Beats. They welcome poetry, spoken word, music, clowning, and more. SSC also hosts another monthly open mic at Slow Progress Records. Stay up to date with Sad Song Club via Instagram and Facebook events.
Share Your Art is also hosted once a month at Sketchy Beats. The night welcomes art of all descriptions and they have had poetry, prose, drama, visual art and so much more. Get more updates about Share Your Art on Instagram.
Typewronger Books hosts their open mic once a month, you can stay up to date with their open mic and other events like anthology and publication launches on Facebook events, Instagram, or their website.
Poetry events
These events mostly feature spoken word or poetry
Argonaut Books holds spoken word nights once a month. They also offer discounts on poetry books on the night! You can stay up to date with their events on Instagram and their website.
Loud Poets hosts two open mics a month, on the second and last Mondays of the month at The Canons’ Gait. Find out more via the I Am Loud social media channels or newsletter, the links are all available here.
Push the Boat Out’s Rock the Boat is held on the first Thursday of the month at Summerhall. They usually have a link to their sign-ups in their Linktree. You can also stay up to date with their events on Instagram or their website.
Thank you for reading!
I’m only one person and there are only so many events I can go to, so if I’ve missed anything please leave a comment below with a few key details (event name, frequency, venue) and a link to their social media or website.
While there are nights that welcome prose and storytelling, I’m a little short on specific nights that let performers share longer-form work that aren’t curated or dedicated to that artist’s work. If you know of any events that feature these mediums, please share!
If you have any questions about open mics, performances or events, let me know in the comments here on Substack or message me on Instagram.
Have a fab time exploring our wonderful performance and reading scene here in Edinburgh. There’s a whole bunch of talent to inspire you whether it’s on the page or the stage!
And if you do get in front of the mix, don’t forget to tell us how you get on. We’d love to celebrate your achievement and who knows, maybe you’ll inspire someone else to give it a go.
Take care and see you at an open mic or event soon,
Naomi x
P.s. If you know someone else who’s looking to get started with writing or performing, please consider sharing The Good Egg Project newsletter with them. Every share and subscription helps our community to grow!
Great list! When I am next back in Edinburgh I will be exploring these 🙏🏻😊