Sit Down ..... Sit back ....
Engage Your Mind
Stand up ..... Stand tall ....
Speak Your Truth

Over the last 2 years Shame have run a vibrant, open mic night of spoken word. From the fresh surroundings of Moderno Cafe bar street poets, armchair philosophers & vocal entertainers reeled out their words, rhymes and visions.

We started the Shame:session nights in Autumn 1999 to encourage others to perform their work and help redirect their fear of performing. When we opened the door for the first time we realised that Leeds was in desperate need of an open mic night like ours. We have had people from every walk of life step through our doors and onto the stage to reveal their true selves.

Over the coming year we will continue to reintroduce the people of Leeds to the forgotten art of spoken word. From Gypsy song to comic verse, from story telling to flows of consciousness, from dub poetry to rambling rhyme.

In Leeds today there are open mic event nearly every day of the week at varios venues across the city, a far cry from when we started. The nights have been put on hold for now to alow us to work on some larger events - but they may be back in the future.

Thanks to all who came along to listen & a big BIG shout out goes to all the performers who took that mic and shook that floor at Cafe Moderno.