PREVIEW: Outside In: Chichester

Poet, painter and activist Vince Laws will be appearing at Pallant House Gallery on World Mental Health Day.

The event will be compered by Colin Hambrook, the editor of Disability Arts Online and Vince will be performing at 20 minute solo set.

Vince said; “The way the 2 hour session works is that we have 8 open mic slots that we take bookings for beforehand which is a mixture of outside in poets and others from the local community. After a short tea break, the second part is for 2 programmed poets who each have a 20 minute slot to do whatever they like in terms of poetry and performance.

“Whatever I like? Fabulous! I’ll bring My Mental Helmet if you’ll bring yours…”

‘My name is Vincent, and I like it, and I am a poem.’

Vince Laws takes his poetry off the page into art and performance and was described as ‘playful, provocative, political, and passionate’ only today, on Facebook.

‘My Mental Helmet is safer, darker

Heavier, harder to communicate

Here I am alone, protected

Isolated, insulated from the throng

Crying in car parks, round and round

Ripples in a goldfish bowl

But you can’t sleep

When you think about it.’

Vince added; “I will repeat the poem 3 times, second time wearing My Mental Helmet. Come along and see.”