Lemn Sissay

Lemn Sissay's thoroughly energetic and exhilarating seven minutes transports the audience into the mind of a man who at the age of eighteen discovered he did not know his real name. Fostered as a child social workers ignored his mother's pleas for his return. Lemn Sissay's poetry reflects on the meaning of identity, belonging and on how we care for vulnerable children. But here is his backstory. It is deeply inspirational.

Kate Daudy's captivating talk explores the 'memory of objects'. Daudy Explains the Chinese tradition of inscribing poetry onto everyday Objects, from pots to pipes to scrolls and then illustrates how this tradition influences her own work as an artist. Daudy inscribes poetry onto objects including abandoned wedding dresses, to illustrate themes of loss, love and the condition of women. The 'War Dress' displayed during the talk is a canvas for Wilfred Owen's poignant poem Dulce et Decorum Est bringing the audience to reflect on the horrors of war and the widows it creates.