The Crypt Gallery and Make Poetry Weird Again Presents - Hold Space Poetry Festival
Hold Space Open Mic - 5 consecutive days of Open Mic from the depths! Please note saturday's tickets are separate as we will be above the crypt in St Pancras New Church for the Hold Space Gathering as part of the 20th anniversary of Bloomsbury Festival.
A night of poetry in the crypt. Come to listen. Come to share. Come Sober. Come as you are.
Hold Space is an evening open mic rooted in the Make Poetry Weird Again residency — a space that takes the weird seriously, 5 days of open mic on consecrated ground still holding the remains of 557 of the departed.
We must respect their presence.
Two featured poets from the residency programme open the night, then the floor is open to 14 poets - sign up is limited because we want to truly Hold Space for each performance.
Given there is 5 days of consecutive open mic we hope to showcase as much of the open mic scene as we can.
The Crypt Gallery is accessed via a staircase. There is no step-free access. If you have mobility needs that make stairs difficult or impossible, please contact us before accepting your place so we can discuss what is and is not possible. We will always be honest with you about the limitations of the building.
- The crypt is underground and stone-built. It is very cold, including in April. Please bring warm layers and expect to keep them on. If you are performing, plan your outfit accordingly. If you have a health condition affected by cold temperatures, please let us know in advance.
- The space has limited natural light and no outdoor area attached. If you need fresh air or natural light during the evening, please step outside to the churchyard as needed.
We are committed to making the week as accessible as possible within the constraints of the building. If anything in this section affects your ability to participate, please talk to us. We would rather find a solution together than have someone struggle alone or feel they cannot raise it.
How we treat each other
This is an explicitly queer and trans-inclusive space. Everyone present is entitled to be here on their own terms.
- Use people's correct names and pronouns. If you're unsure, ask or use they/them.
- Do not assume anyone's identity, background, relationship to their work, or reason for being here.
- Consent extends beyond the stage. Do not touch, photograph, or record other people without asking first.
- Do not speak over, interrupt, or undermine other poets, in conversation, or from the audience.
Harassment of any kind, including but not limited to behaviour that targets someone's gender, sexuality, race, disability, class, age, or immigration status, will not be tolerated.
The work
We welcome work that is difficult, explicit, political, grieving, angry, tender, strange, or formally unrecognisable. We do not require content warnings for dark subject matter, but we do ask that you offer them for content involving sexual violence, suicide, or self-harm, so that people can make informed choices about how they receive it.
Your work is your own. We will not ask you to soften it. We will ask you to be honest about what it is, so that the people in the room can meet it on its own terms.
The Crypt Gallery sits beneath St Pancras New Church, a working Church of England site with its own history, weight, and claims on those who enter it. We ask everyone to move through it with that awareness; not reverence that silences, but attention that deepens the work.
Please treat the physical space with care. The space should be left as we found it, or better.
How the evening runs:
Two featured poets from the residency programme open each half of the night, then the floor is yours.
How the evening runs:
- 6:00 — Doors open
- 6:15 — First feature set from the residency programme
- 6:30 — Open mic round 1 (7 poets, 5 mins each)
- 7:05 — Break
- 7:20 — Second feature set from the residency programme
- 7:35 — Open mic round 2 (7 poets, 5 mins each)
- 8:10 — Break
- 8:25 — Closing
- 9:00 — End
Sign up on the door. 14 open mic slots available — first come, first served.
A few things to know:
- This is a sober event. No alcohol is served or permitted on the premises.
- Capacity is strictly limited to 30 — tickets are free but must be booked in advance.
- The Crypt Gallery is an intimate, atmospheric space. Please arrive on time.
Suitable for: anyone who loves poetry, wants to perform for the first time, or just needs somewhere to sit in the stillness and listen to weird words.
Entry: Free. Ticket required. Location: The Crypt Gallery, St Pancras Parish Church, Euston Road, London NW1 2BA. Nearest stations: Euston and King's Cross St Pancras.