A portrait of a UK poet by a US artist has led to its display and a poetry performance in the Worcestershire town of Droitwich. In 2015, Cynthia Morrison produced a piece of artwork for a gallery in the US, based upon a photograph of UK poet and performer Dave Reeves by Ali McK, and sent an email to Dave about it. Later in the year she sent Dave a photograph of another work based on this photograph hanging as part of a Mail Art exhibition in Berlin, and said that there were more to come. The chain of events has led to Cynthia currently displaying a picture based upon that original photo of Dave in a Mail Art exhibition in Droitwich Spa as part of Droitwich Arts Week - and Dave is performing there.

Dave, a performance poet and squeezebox player who is also poet in residence at the Black Country Living Museum, and compere of internet radio station Radio Wildfire, will be appearing at Park’s café, Victoria Square, Droitwich Spa, at 7pm on Monday 23 May, with entry £5. More details

Before that, there’s a poetry extravaganza on Saturday night, 21 May, at Park’s café, starting at 7pm. It’s compered by Fergus McGonigal, with guest poets Sarah James, Claire Walker, John Lawrence, Cathy Gee, Nina Lewis, Maggie Doyle, Alan Durham and Polly Stretton.

PORTRAIT: CYNTHIA MORRISON