© Betty Laura Zapata
Barbican Young Poets is generously supported by Audible.
£6 Young Barbican exhibition tickets
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What you need to know
What you'll gain
- Mentorship from leading poets, performers, and creative practitioners.
- Development of your writing, performance style, and critical instincts.
- A clearer sense of your voice, vision, and relationship to poetic form.
- Connection with a community of fellow writers and artists.
What you'll do
- Build a portfolio of work and contribute to a published anthology.
- Perform at the Barbican and explore other representations of your work, such as facilitating a session, creating a multimedia piece, or delivering a presentation.
- Engage with writing challenges that prioritise discovery over perfection.
- Take part in optional workshops/projects that intersect with other art forms across the Barbican’s wider programme.
- Cultivate a creative practice rooted in love, attention, and resilience.
Schedule
- Barbican Young Poets sessions at the Barbican Centre: every other Wednesday, 6:30-8:45pm, from November 2025 – June 2026, with 4 x longer Saturday sessions over the course of the programme.
- Present your work at a showcase at the Barbican Centre: w/c Monday 15th June 2026 (Date TBC).
- Anthology launch of your published works later in the year.
- Evaluation and feedback session later in the year.
- Other optional sessions offered throughout the year.
- The full timeline can be found here: Barbican Young Poets - Schedule & Timeline
Facilitation
Jacob Sam-La Rose
Jacob Sam-La Rose is a poet, educator, and editor whose work has helped shape the landscape of contemporary poetry and spoken word in the UK. As the founder and long-standing lead facilitator of Barbican Young Poets, and through appointments including Programme Leader of the Goldsmiths-accredited Spoken Word Education Programme, Artistic Director of the national youth poetry initiative Shake the Dust, and founder of the international poetry community The Vineyard, he has supported generations of writers and performers in developing their craft, deepening their thinking, and building creative lives grounded in care, curiosity, and community.
Jacob creates spaces that invite risk and nurture resilience through his responsive, enquiry-led facilitation. He encourages writers to see poetry not just as a mode of expression, but as a way of paying attention and participating in the world.
Alongside his work as a facilitator, Jacob is a committed editor and mentor, known for championing new voices and supporting writers in honing their creative and critical practice with the same rigour and generosity that define his facilitation.
Invited Guests
During the programme, there will be sessions led by guest industry professionals in the poetry and spoken word sector, all of whom will bring different insights and specialisms to help you develop your artistic practice.
Subject to Change
Read: Subject to Change Anthology
From data breaches, US presidents and corruption to the power of language to make change, read and watch all twelve of our Young Poet's evocative and impactful poems from the Subject to Change series.
Subject to Change: 'Tender' by Annie Hayter
For July’s poem, Annie Hayter reflects on the relationship between sexual abuse and denial, in the wake of recent revelations.
Subject to Change: 'Bun Babylon!' by Anita Barton-Williams
For June’s poem, Anita Barton-Williams shares a personal reflection on her heritage in light of the Windrush scandal.
Subject to Change: 'Honey' by Katie Hale
Our January poem comes from Katie Hale, as she performs her poem, 'Honey' - because what better way to interrogate a word than with a poem? Read our interview with Katie for more about her poem and how poetry can be a powerful vehicle for change.
