In solidarity | May Day & Poetry Day

Join us at the Tea Houses to mark May Day & Poetry Day with an evening of poetry, discussion, art, and activism. The event features poet Sarah Clancy who will speak about using poetry as a tool for resistance, solidarity, and social change. Sarah Clancy is a pioneering poet and has been involved in many campaigns including those concerning socio-economic rights, marriage equality, reproductive, and migrant rights.

Inspired by the power of poetry and exploring how art can be at the forefront of activism, there will be a drop-in collage-making workshop with artist and organiser Jessica Weber Patterson (starting at 6.00pm). Participants are invited to present their work in the windows of the Tea Houses over the May bank holiday.

May Day, or International Workers’ Day, is a globally recognised time for reflection on solidarity, unity, and collective strength. In the space there will be a visual contribution from invited local activist groups, demonstrating our solidarity and interconnectedness in the multiple struggles faced in Kilkenny and further.

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Sarah Clancy has published three poetry collections, Stacey and the Mechanical Bull (Lapwing Press 2011), Thanks for Nothing, Hippies (Salmon Poetry 2012) and The Truth and Other Stories (Salmon Poetry 2014) and has had her work published in Queering the Green (The Lifeboat 2022) and The Art of Place – People and Landscape of County Clare (Liffey Press 2021). In 2021 her poem ‘Cherishing for Beginners’ was the subject of a poetry-film collaboration between the Aidan Brinkerhoff Poetry Foundation and IMMA and was shown as part of the Ghosts from the Recent Past exhibition. She works in community development and has been involved in many campaigns.

Jessica Weber Patterson is a multidisciplinary artist, community organiser, and photojournalist. Through her participatory techniques, which involve collage, printmaking, and photography, she seeks to build platforms that enhance community bonds, address social and global justice issues, and foster inclusive spaces for creative expression and storytelling.

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The Tea Houses are situated by the River Nore in Kilkenny city centre, and have been acquired by Kilkenny Arts Office to host a public art programme that encourages a sense of community and active citizenship.

The Tea Houses were initiated by the Kilkenny Arts Office and are programmed by curator Rachel Botha.

Supported by Poetry Ireland for Poetry Day Ireland 2025 and the Kilkenny Arts Office.

[Image Credit: ‘Connected’ (2024), screenprint, by Jessica Weber Patterson.]