Alongside six other poets, Keely spent the run-up to the Festival travelling on all the bus routes in Peterborough, writing poetry inspired by the journeys and highlighting the routes that keep the heart of the city pumping. Now the podcast of this work can be heard at www.pect.org.uk/poetry.
Over two recording sessions the poetry was turned into the podcast with the help of a multitude of different voices, many of whom were not performers but instead ex-bus drivers and passengers. The podcast was created with help from the producers at Beat This, the city’s community music group.
“If you had said to me that I would like the place I live in more by travelling on all of its bus routes I might have laughed a little, but this project did just that,” explains Keely. “I am a Peterborough girl born and bred but learnt so much about the city during this project and met some truly wonderful people.”
When hearing the poems, listen out for various different versions of what Peterborough buses mean to local residents: from love stories, through to animals as buses or the heavenly tea bar serving hot beverages!
The poetry project was made possible by funding from the Arts Council. Thank you too to Stagecoach and Travelchoice for supporting the project.