Ten years ago, Rose Condo took over the hosting reins of our monthly poetry night – and what an incredible decade it’s been!
From incredible performances by special guest poets to aspiring artists sharing their work at the open mic, our monthly poetry nights have become a beloved fixture here at Lawrence Batley Theatre.
Rose Condo: A Decade of Dedication
As host, Rose brings warmth, wit, and wisdom to each evening. She creates a welcoming space for both seasoned poets and newcomers to share their creativity.
Rose's poetry and ability to connect with the audience have inspired so many of you to share your voices. Under her support, Attic Stories has grown into a vibrant community where creativity thrives.
A Decade of Memories and Inspiration
Looking back, Rose’s influence is extraordinary. She has created a space where poets of all backgrounds can come together to share their work, learn from each other, and grow as artists. Her impact extends beyond the monthly events; she has helped to cultivate a community that values and celebrates the power of words.
It all started here
by Rose Condo
It all started here
As the saying goes
Chol Theatre started a monthly event
Thinking hey who knows
It might become a thing
That runs for a while
I was very the first guest
I nervously compiled
A bunch of poems
To test out and see
What might come of it
And lo
Thus was born my first show
The Geography of Me
In Queenie’s Coffee Shop
The first of many venues
The event name Coffee House Nights
Brought energy exciting and new
Chol carried on each month
Great guests and atmosphere
New work and ideas explored
Yes it all started here
Fast forward a few months
Chol wanted a change
Then LBT Director Victoria Firth
Asked if I’d take over the reins
Queenie’s Coffee House Nights
Became my monthly date
The last Monday of the month
To creatively celebrate
Performance adventures
In story, poetry and song
Open mic, feature guests
And audiences coming along
Every month
To share the Queenie’s space
As long as I could remember
Where the tables and chairs
Needed to be placed
Each month we gathered
For cosy connections
Friendships were forged
Words shared with affection
Eventually the doors to
Queenie’s Coffee Shop closed
We needed a new home
The LBT’s Cellar Theatre was posed
As a new venue for our
Monthly wordy event
So off down to the Cellar Theatre
This gaggle of us went
I’ll admit that I’d worried
We’d lose Queenie’s intimacy
But the Cellar offered more space
Our audience grew exponentially
The LBT is a busy place
In the creative heart of Huddersfield
There were times we had to relocate
The Cellar we’d have to yield
For another space in the building
Like the Lower Bar
Or the Gallery or the Attic
Or the beautiful Courtyard
But no matter where we went
One thing was clear
The pulse of the event carried with us
It all started here
It all stopped in our collectively
Shared lockdown time
It helped to ease fears and worries
When we connected online
And when the pandemic eased
And in-person events returned
Our new home - Attic Stories
Beautifully emerged
As the place we now meet
On the last Wednesday of the month
And I count my lucky stars
To know such a brilliant bunch
Our feature guests
Have helped our events to thrive
I tried to make a list of everyone
At last count it was seventy five
And the actual hundreds of folks
Who have been on the open mic
Whether first timers or old hats
Your words bring joy, light and life
There are moments across these ten years
On which memories have been built
In my mind they weave together
Like a poetical quilt
And I’m grateful beyond measure
That since it all started here
I’ve been part of this journey
To the next many years
We want to say a big thank you to Rose for all her hard work and dedication in spreading creativity and inspiring so many of you to share your words each month. Attic Stories, Huddersfield's monthly night of spoken word, runs on the last Wednesday of each month at 7:30pm.
Lawrence Batley Theatre Celebrates 30 Years
Thirty years ago a group of passionate local people banded together to fundraise £5million to transform a derelict building into Lawrence Batley Theatre, because they felt it was essential that the town had a world class theatre.
As a registered charity (No. 510693), we rely on the generous support of our community to ensure that we can continue to provide services which engage local people in the arts for another thirty years to come.
As we celebrate our thirtieth year, we need to raise £30,000 to keep on making an impact in Huddersfield - and we need your help! If you believe in our work, please support us today as we raise £30,000 for thirty years. Help us to keep making an impact.
