Jazmine Cartwright

Spoken word event 'safe space to be seen and heard' Poet and author Jazmine Robyn Cartwright, pictured centre, said she was "proud" of the community that the spoken word event had created 28 March 2025 A spoken word event has been praised for offering a "safe space to be seen and heard" by a poet. The monthly open mic poetry night, called Rushden Rhymes, welcomes first time performers as well as those with more experience. Northamptonshire poet, Abbi Jinks, praised its supportive and friendly atmosphere. "I think as creatives and as people that's something we need more and more of, and it's lovely to come and be part of the audience and be part of the performance," she said. Spoken word poetry, or slam poetry, is an art form that allows the poet to share their point of view and express their emotions using the power of words, rhythm and rhyme. "It's real, and it's raw, and it's personal and it can be every emotion going,...