Michaela Violet and Will Stevenson are poets, creatives and partners. Together, we have hosted events, stages and festivals across the North West of England for the past 6 years.
What began on a sunny walk home one evening has become a mission: to provide exciting and interesting arts at accessible prices. We know how to make a vibe. We know how to find talent. We have platformed some of the best spoken word artists in the UK to our uniquely passionate audiences.
Switchblade Poetry Night quickly became a staple in the Manchester spoken word calendar, long listed for the Saboteur Award for outstanding regular spoken word night in 2023 whilst providing stages for artists including Antony Szmeriek (Service Station At The End of the Universe), Rob Steventon (Punk In Drublic), Rory Aaron (This Town), Nasima Bee (Contact Theatre), and Broccan Tyzack Carlin (Tiny Badger) among many, many more open micers and quality headliners.
We have collaborated with Natter (Bolton), Verbose (Manchester), Northern Poets Society, Morecambe Poetry Festival and The Peer Hat to bring poetry to a variety of spaces, including mixed-bill day festivals, Zoom events and workshop curation.
Michaela Violet
Michaela is a queer disabled multidisciplinary artist from Manchester who specialises in non fiction poetry and prose surrounding the working class experience, feminism, mental health and surrealism. Currently working in substance use recovery, on the side, she dabbles in illustration, abstract painting and stick and poke tattooing.
She has helped to organise workshops such as Mindfulness movement, whilst working in local Manchester mental health settings, ran Lincoln’s first reclaim the night March, supported with the rewriting of University policies surrounding gender based violence whilst sitting on a gender based violence task force, working on campaigns surrounding this alongside.
But most importantly she is a fond animal lover, dog mum and all round approachable human who hopes she can make a little difference in this creative slither of the world.
Michaela shot our Self Isolation project back in 2020. Click here to view the rest of the photography.
Will Stevenson
Will Stevenson is a poet, songwriter and educator living in Manchester. His work explores themes of capitalism and community, otherness and connection. He released two limited run chapbooks, We Are Now Approaching and From Skegness to Salford. He has released music under the names BODIES UK (with Robin Parker) and Will Switchblade.
He writes essays on critical theory, philosophy and the education system on his Substack Literate Radicalism.
