Some-Antics featuring Ishtiaq Hussain [External booking link]

FREE TICKETS FOR THIS EVENT MUST BE BOOKED VIA THE LINK BELOW.  PLEASE DO NOT BOOK VIA TICKET TAILOR.

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS: Some-Antics Spoken Word | Phoenix Leicester | Tickets

Music and mingling from 7pm, poetry from 7.45pm...

Literary Leicester is delighted to collaborate with the legendary monthly spoken word event, Some-Antics, to welcome the incredible Ishtiaq Hussain, the British Sign Language Poet Laureate, performing his show Ish's VV World. This event will be fully BSL interpreted. It will also feature an poetry open mic, poetry slam with cash prize, raffle and table magician.

Some Antics is, by their own description, Leicester's 'third best' poetry night! It hosts monthly live performance and writing events as part of its mission to provide opportunities for performance and artistic growth to poets in Leicester and across the East Midlands.

Please note, this will be an event with adult themes throughout. As an open-mic event, be prepared for a no-holds-barred - and sweary! - evening.

For over 15 years, Ishtiaq Hussain has been captivating audiences with his exceptional skill in Visual Vernacular (VV) a dynamic performance style that combines facial expressions, mime, body movement, and iconic gestures to tell powerful, visually engaging stories. His work goes beyond spoken language, creating theatre that is accessible, emotional, and deeply resonant for people of all ages and backgrounds. Known for his expressive energy and creative storytelling, Ishtiaq has collaborated with a variety of organisations across the UK. Offstage, Ishtiaq is passionate about sharing his VV expertise and knowledge. He supports artists and creatives in incorporating VV and British Sign Language (BSL) into their own work, offering training and mentorship to promote inclusion through visual storytelling. In 2025, Ishtiaq was honoured to be named 2025 BSL Poet Laureate, awarded for his powerful VV/BSL poetry piece 'Free the Wolves Six'.