A GROUP of creatives is working to set up a new poetry session in Okehampton following the success of a regular poetry evening in North Tawton.

Off the back of the successful ‘Lend Me Your Ears’ poetry session, which attracted a large audience to the Copper Key where the event was held, host Arran Hawkins is now working towards setting up a similar event in Okehampton due to popular request and is now on the hunt for a suitable location.

The most recent poetry event in North Tawton attracted four pre-arranged readers and seven local open mic readers who entertained the crowd with poems and storytelling in a range of different styles.

Mr Hawkins set up the event working alongside Red Mud Arts, a social group which was set up in September last year to allow artists of all kinds in North Tawton to socialise, share ideas and support one another.

Red Mud Arts was established by North Tawton artist Ruth Smith and other local artists.

As the new social group was set to open, she explained her reasoning behind the group.

She said: ‘It’s so important for artists to have community because it can be quite a lonely job. You don’t have colleagues and you don’t really have people to bounce ideas off.

‘Red Mud is essentially about bringing artists together to socialise and just see what happens, to be a bit of a support network and provide the opportunity for co-creating and collaboration.’

North Tawton is an especially artistic town in West Devon with at least ten artists opening their studios to the public during the Devon Open Studios which took place in September.

The Copper Key also plays host to North Tawton’s open mic sessions, organised by local musicians Cathy Page and Wesley Cutter, to give both inexperienced and experienced singers and musicians in the area a platform on which to practise.

Following a successful first two sessions, the open mic event now takes place on the second Wednesday of every month from 7:30pm-10:30pm at the Copper Key in North Tawton.

Anyone wishing to perform should arrive at 7pm to register their act.