The Scottish Poetry Choir is a community project started in 2025 by spoken-word poet and events producer Anita Govan.
This innovative new format – the first of its kind in Scotland – gives people the opportunity to engage with poetry and spoken word in a fun and active way.
Anita guides members through the collaborative process of developing group spoken word performances that incorporate movement, music, and soundscapes to enhance the narrative of selected poetry pieces.
The Scottish Poetry Choir is seeking new members and meets during school term time. The choir marks the end of each term with a group poetry performance.
The Scottish Poetry Choir not only opens space for you to directly engage with poetry and spoken word, but also gives you the benefits of community choir practices. The aim of the Scottish Poetry Choir is to help people participate in poetry in a non-competitive and informal way and provide an alternative to the highly competitive slam poetry format.
Join the Scottish Poetry Choir
Register your interest for our first taster session on Tuesday, October 7, or join us for our next term which runs weekly from October to December 2025.
What is the Scottish Poetry Choir?
The Scottish Poetry Choir is a community focusing on group poetry performance. We combine spoken word and poetry with movement, music, and soundscapes to help people actively engage with poetry.
Who is the Scottish Poetry Choir for?
The Scottish Poetry Choir is for members of the public over 16+
The group is for people from underserved and marginalised communities, including women, neurodivergent people, people of colour, migrants, asylum seekers and refugees, & LGBTQIA+ people.
How do I get involved?
The Scottish Poetry Choir is open for applications and our first term starts in October 2025.
You can apply to join the poetry choir with this Google Form
How often do you meet?
We meet once a week during school term time, with a performance scheduled at the end of each term.
How much is membership?
Membership for the Scottish Poetry Choir costs £45. This covers practice venue hire and materials for each session.
Do you offer concessions?
Yes, we offer funded places for people who are unwaged, low-income, or receiving state benefits. For more details, please email Anita at scottishpoetrychoir@gmail.com
Anita Govan
she/her
Choir director & project lead
Naomi Head
she/they
Marketing & communications officer
Amy Milner
she/they
Assistant producer