This year's Platform arts festival is off to a poetic start thanks to Jim Mackintosh, who is spreading his love of words in a radical way - by boarding public buses.
Jim will be travelling on buses around Perth and the nearby countryside to recite poetry, as part of his role as poet-in-residence of the second annual Platform Festival, organised by Culture Perth and Kinross.
Starting this weekend, Jim and a team of fellow performers will randomly get on and off Stagecoach buses, recite poems and play music. Called Wheels in Emotion, the week-long initiative runs during the week of Platform, from March 24th to 31st.
Jim, who is also poet-in-residence for St. Johnstone Football Club, will be writing and sharing new poetry throughout the festival, now in its second year. He will spend the week attending Platform events, starting with the opening night at AK Bell Library where he will unveil the aptly named new poem The Number 57 Bus.
Jim came up with the poetry-on-the-buses idea - named Wheels in Emotion - after hearing about poets who travel for free on Amtrak trains in the USA in return for reciting poetry.
He said: "I just have these crazy ideas sometimes and this one came about after reading about the Amtrak poets-in-residence in the USA. I firmly believe there is poetry bubbling under the surface of many travellers on the buses of Perthshire and want to provide a platform for it to be heard. I'd encourage anyone from students at school, college and University, to young mums, folk going to and from work, folk shopping or our brilliant bus pass generations to share their poetry with us."'
Platform Festival is a contemporary arts festival celebrating the best of Perth and Kinross's artists, makers and creative industries. Now in its second year, it will provide a week of exhibitions, performances, music, talks and workshops across Perth and Kinross.
Helen Smout, chief executive of Culture Perth and Kinross, said:
"Platform Festival gives artists and audiences a platform to innovate and to push their creative boundaries. The fact that Jim is using buses as a platform for poetry really captures the spirit of what this week is all about. We hope he can inspire audiences to find their own creative voice and take part in the festival in their own way."
Sarah Elliott, marketing manager for Stagecoach East Scotland, said:
"Stagecoach is at the heart of the local community and we regularly support positive events. Platform Festival is a fantastic way for people to share their talent across the region and we look forward to having Jim hopping on and off our buses engaging with the community."
Platform Festival programmes are now available in local libraries and participating cultural venues. More information at www.platformperth.co.uk
For more information on Culture Perth and Kinross visit www.culturepk.org.uk/whats-on/
Stagecoach East Scotland
Stagecoach UK Bus is part of the Stagecoach Group and is one of the largest bus operators in the UK, operating express and local bus services across the country.
