Helen Calcutt

HELEN Calcutt is a dance artist, choreographer and award-winning poet. She is the author of three volumes of poetry, and Artistic Director of ‘Beyond Words’ a ground-breaking new company exploring text-to-movement translation.

HER pamphlet ‘Somehow’ (Verve Press, 2020) was a PBS Winter Bulletin Pamphlet, and Poetry School Book of the Year (2020). Her acclaimed anthology, ‘Eighty-Four’ (Verve Press, 2019) created in aid of the suicide prevention charity C.A.L.M, was a Saboteur Award shortlist, and a Poetry Wales Book of the Year (2019). Her poem ‘Rope’ was made into a short film by Paul Stringer.

HELEN’S highly anticipated full-length collection,‘ Feeling all the kills’, will be published in Spring 2024 with Pavilion Poetry.Her writing has been awarded funding by The Society of Authors, Arvon, and Arts Council England, and she regularly facilitates for Writing West Midlands, The Poetry School, and HAY’s Young Women’s Writer’s Programme.

SHE was one of six poets selected to perform in the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony 2022, directed by Iqbal Khan and choreographed by Corey Baker.

HELEN will be awarded an honorary doctorate by Loughborough University for her ‘outstanding contribution to creative writing and work in raising awareness of issues related to social inclusivity’ in December 2023. She is currently researching a dance adaptation of Max Porter’s award-winning text, ‘Grief is the Thing with Feathers’, in partnership with the Birmingham REP and with public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.