Simmer Down Friday

Simmer Down brings together emerging artists, performers and DJ's for an exciting evening of local talent. OPEN MIC session closes the night

About this event

Modupe Obasola won a place in the live semi-finals with her acoustic version of Justin Bieber’s song, Boyfriend but was buzzed out of the contest on Tuesday.

She said “I’d always been against going on a reality show because I wanted to do it the old fashioned way, gigging and getting signed. But people kept saying to me I should just go for it, and so I decided to give it a go.”

She is a great inspiration to young Black emerging artist and we welcome her vibe for a night of uplifting voices.

Nick Makoha was shortlisted for the 2017 Felix Dennis Prize for Best First

Collection for he’s debut Kingdom of Gravity. He is a Cave Canem Graduate Fellow, Malika’s Kitchen Fellow and Complete Works Alumni. He won the 2015 Brunel International African Poetry prize and is the 2016 winner of the Toi Derricotte & Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize for his pamphlet Resurrection Man. His poems appeared in The New York Times, Poetry Review, Rialto, Poetry London, Triquarterly Review, Boston Review, Callaloo, and Wasafiri.

His poem ‘Vista’ was used as part of a video installation to promote the Turner prize in 2008 for Tate Remix. His poem “Beatitude” is included in Being Human the third book in the Staying Alive poetry trilogy. In 2005 award winning publisher Flippedeye launched its pamphlet series with his debut The Lost Collection of an Invisible Man. He is a Trustee for the Arvon Foundation and a member of the Malika’s Poetry Kitchen collective.

Born in Uganda, Nick Makoha fled the country with his mother, as a result of the political overtones that arose from the civil war during the Idi Amin dictatorship. He has lived in Kenya, Saudi Arabia and currently resides in London. He has presented his work at many international events and toured for the British Council in Finland, Czech Republic, the US and the Netherlands.