Out-Spoken Masterclass: January
Take your poetry to the next level in a three-hour weekend workshop guided by an acclaimed poet, focusing on techniques to refine your craft.
Out-Spoken’s poetry masterclass is a monthly workshop facilitated by leading UK/US poets. This month’s workshop is led by Oluwaseun Olayiwola.
The class is open to members of the public of all ages and abilities – from beginners to the more advanced.
Anyone with an interest in poetry is welcome to take the chance to work with the country’s most revered writers’ while learning some of their methods and approaches to crafting beautiful and original poetry.
Oluwaseun (Seun) Olayiwola is a poet, critic, choreographer and performer based in London. His creative and critical work has been published in The Poetry Review, PN Review, The Telegraph, the TLS and elsewhere.
His debut poetry collection, Strange Beach, was published by Fitzcarraldo Editions (UK) and Soft Skull Press (US). Since publication, the collection has won an Eric Gregory Award and was Poetry Book Society Winter 2025 Special Commendation.
Olayiwola’s choreographic work has been presented at venues across London. He is an inaugural member of the Rose Choreographic School at Sadler’s Wells East, a lecturer in dance in the Kingston School of Art and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Presented in association with Out-Spoken.
Need to know
Please bring in some of your existing work for this masterclass, as well as your own writing equipment, e.g. a pen and notepad, a tablet or a laptop.
For your visit
This event is held at the Royal Festival Hall Southbank Centre
The Royal Festival Hall is open six days a week.
Tuesday – Sunday, 10am – 11pm
Monday, closed.
Plan your visit
The Royal Festival Hall is home to our largest auditorium as well as The Clore Ballroom, National Poetry Library, Members’ Lounge, Festival Bar & Kitchen, Ballroom Cafe and Skylon restaurant.
Getting here
Our address is Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.
The nearest tube stations to us are Waterloo and Embankment; Waterloo is also the nearest train station. And more than 20 different London bus routes pass within 500 metres of our venues. More information on getting here by rail, road or river is available on our Getting here page.
We’re cash-free
Please note that we’re unable to accept cash payments across our venues.
Access
We’re working hard to remove barriers, so that our facilities and events can be accessible to as many people as possible.
All help points, toilets, performance and exhibition spaces at the Southbank Centre are accessible to all, as are the cafes, bars and restaurants. We also have excellent public transport links with step-free access.
All information about booking wheelchair spaces, step-free access, blue badge parking, access maps and guides and other help available whilst you’re here, including details about our Access Scheme, can be found on our Access page.
Food & drink
On Level 2 of our Royal Festival Hall you can grab a slice of life by the Thames with drinks and freshly made pizza at our Festival Bar & Kitchen which opens out onto our Riverside Terrace. You can grab a coffee and a slice of freshly made cake from our Ballroom Cafe. Or alternatively enjoy destination dining in the restaurant at Skylon.
From coffee to cocktails, filling favourites to fine dining, plus some of London’s best street food – it’s all here at the Southbank Centre.