Voices from the Fountain, a monthly open mic night held in the Fountain Inn in Walsall, is taking a big step towards becoming more than just a monthly open mic night. They are aiming to become a hub for poets, musicians and spoken word artists in the Black Country as they begin expanding into new projects. Now operating as Voices Poetry and with new host Ryan at the helm, they are lining up a number of projects for the near future that will see more frequent showcasing of local talent.      

The first order of business for Voices Poetry is to update their social media - there are new logos, event graphics and even social media handles (see below). There are also plans for more interactive social media throughout the year, using their channels to engage with and promote spoken word artists, poets and musicians.      

As 2025 begins, Voices are set to announce their first project outside of their flagship event. Ryan is staying tight-lipped for now, but says that the regulars of Voices from the Fountain, along with any other poets and writers around the Black Country should be very excited for what is coming next.    

"I've been planning a few exciting poetry projects for a while", Ryan says. "A lot of careful planning has been going on in the background. But we're so excited to launch the first of what will hopefully be many new ways that we are going to help to showcase just how much talent we have in Walsall and the wider Black Country."      

Ryan also says that whilst there will be new things coming from Voices and while the social media pages may have a fresh new look, the regular Voices from the Fountain event will always be the main focus, he just wants to bring more eyes to the event and to the local performers who make up the roster of exceptional talent on show.      

So it seems there is a lot to get excited about in the world of poetry in and around Walsall in 2025. And you'll have to follow Voices Poetry and Ryan Kenny on social media (below) to keep up to date!      

Voices Poetry can be found on Facebook as Voices Poetry on Instagram as @voicespoetry_ on BlueSky as @voicespoetry.bsky.social      

Ryan Kenny can be found on Instagram as @r5k.poetry