A SOFT SPACE TO STAND / Spotlight Talks & Pocketbook Poetry
5 - 8pm, 26th February, 2026
FREE EVENT
An evening with The Lock-Up’s Youth Advisory Panel
Spotlight Talks & Pocketbook Poetry brings together The Lock-Up’s Youth Advisory Panel and Newcastle poetry collective Pocketbook for an after-hours evening responding to the exhibition A soft space to stand. Enjoy short spotlight talks and exhibition tours led by the Youth Advisory Panel, followed by a welcoming open-mic poetry session inviting audiences to reflect on softness, care and the ongoing crisis of living. Featuring an interactive poetry exchange and space for gentle participation, this free event is an invitation to reflect on the curatorial theme of softness, as both a creative tool and a means of responding to the ongoing crisis of living.
Bar open from 5pm
Tours 5.30 – 6.30pm
Pocketbook from 7pm
OPEN CALL-OUT
Pocketbook is on the lookout for poets responding to the exhibition A soft space to stand. Poets will contribute 2-3 poems each (10 minutes per speaker). Click the link below to learn more and sign up!
ABOUT POCKETBOOK
Pocketbook is a grassroots, not-for-profit creative collective rooted in Newcastle’s literary and arts community. Emerging from a student-run open mic, the group now supports and platforms local writers and visual artists across the Hunter through publishing, events, and collaborative projects. Pocketbook exists to fuel emerging voices and actively sustain the creative future of our Steel City.
ABOUT THE LOCK-UP’S YOUTH ADVISORY PANEL
The Lock-Up’s Youth Advisory Panel is a volunteer youth program for creative people aged 18–26 who want to shape what happens in the gallery, from exhibitions and events to public programs and youth engagement. YAP members meet regularly to collaborate, share ideas, build skills, and gain hands-on experience in the arts and cultural sector, while working directly with The Lock-Up team to help make the gallery more relevant, welcoming and exciting for young audiences.
A soft space to stand is powered by Lūpa, a media player for art galleries. More information can be found at lupaplayer.com
