Nick Makoha - writer, poet...

Nicholas Makoha is a charismatic poet and educationalist who has performed internationally and around the UK including the Royal Festival Hall, Green Room and the Ideas Foundation. A charismatic performer and a part-time mentor to teenagers through the NESTA Ignite programme, Nick's writing explores the ambiguities and contradictions of life, love and relationships through thought-provoking poetry and a searing delivery.

He was a featured artist on Kin, a forty-five venue UK tour of writers, DJs and musicians that explored the theme of kinship in 2003/04. In 2005 he supported London's bid for the Olympics, Back The Bid, through writing and performing a poem 'The Measure of All Things’. For Black history month he toured the Czech republic with the British Council. As a founder member of Malika’s Kitchen he has led workshops in Chicago high schools
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Nicholas has collaborated with musicians and visual artists, including recording with guitarist Randolph Matthews and a collaboration with visuals artists in a response to site-specific work for Apples & Snake's project at the Pump House Gallery. ?His Book “The Lost Collection of an Invisible Man” is published on Mouthmark press

QUOTES:

Nick 'urbanspirit' Makoha is an immensely talented poet of Ugandan origin. On stage he drops he drops a succession of interwoven one-liners so deep that every longitude ever imagined begins to shiver with insecurity. The original poet-in-residence with London's revered performance showcase, Kindred Spirit, urbanspirit catapulted himself to legendary status by disappearing off the poetry scene for two years. He re-emerged in early 2005 with The Lost Collection of an Invisible Man. He has now begun to reclaim the territory he haunted for many years.

X-Bout Magazine http://www.x-bout.com

'Nick was great last night. they're a tricky group, but he really got through to two of them. Nick, he had a well-planned, robust, personal approach that challenged the participants to write in a fresh, individual way.'

Jon Lloyd, Associate director at Soho Theatre

'The youth project was (also) a success. It was well received and had positive feedback. The artists were strong role models to these young people who had little or no experience in the spoken word.'

Kate Howells, Barbican Education

• Poet Coach For Teen poetry Slam winning team 2006
• Touring Poet with Malika’s kitchen In Chicago
• Touring Poet with British Council in Czech republic
• Blacktronica Prison Music Workshops Birmingham 2005
• Resident writer :Verbaleyes: commission @ Pump House
• Residency with Big Fish Theatre Company,
• London Teen Poetry Slam 2004-2005
• Host/facilitator of poetry Myths festival
• Workshop facilitator for the ‘Now We Are Talking’ Project
• Advisor & workshop facilitator for the Ideas Foundation on
• Poet coach and facilitator for World Book Week
• Kin: UK Spoken Word Tour