One Mic Stand x The Forward Prize

One Mic Stand is Young Identity's flagship slam night. One Mic Stand brings together Manchester’s spoken word and music scene for a night of thrilling, competitive performances.

This special edition of One Mic Stand is in partnership with The Forward Prize affiliated Young Poets Summit and will have the top performance poets from Barbican Young Poets, New Writing North, Writer’s Squad, Hive South Yorkshire and Young Identity battle it out in front of three industry judges for the prestigious title, a cash prize and ultimate bragging rights.

**Headliners:**

**Leyla Josephine** is an award-winning poet, film and theatre maker from Glasgow. A Scottish BAFTA nominee and Forward Prize winner, her poetry collection In Public/In Private features the Best Single Poem Performed – Forward Prize 2024 winner, Dear John Berger.

**Rumbi Tauro** is a boundary-breaking R&B and Soul artist making waves across the North West. Fresh from a 2024 headline tour celebrating their EP Live in Manchester, Rumbi delivered stunning full-band performances at The Yard, Sidney & Matilda and Hyde Park Book Club. They have shared stages with Sauti Sol, Sammy Rae & The Friends, Say She She and Adi Oasis, as well as festivals like Tramlines and Sounds from the Other City, and featured on BBC, ITV, NME, The Guardian and MTV EMA Push Live 2024.

Presented by The Blues Kitchen Manchester.

This is an 18+ event