Leicester Symphony Orchestra Concert on Saturday 7th February at Judgemeadow

Leicester Symphony Orchestra (LSO) rehearse at schools in this area and will hold a concert on Saturday 7th September at Judgemeadow, which is ideal for families.

 

Some of you may be interested in the following:

 

Mr Shay, Leicester’s first Poet Laureate will be in attendance.

Akshay Sharma, professionally known as Mr Shay was appointed in September 2025 as the first-ever Poet Laureate for the City of Leicester. A local poet, educator, and musician from the Belgrave area, he serves a two-year term until September 2027, aiming to make poetry accessible, support literacy, and champion the arts within the community. 

 

His journey ….

“It’s an honour,” he says. “I’ve been doing this for years — engaging young people, delivering workshops, writing about Leicester — I just didn’t have the title. Now I do. And it comes with responsibility.”

Akshay’s journey into poetry wasn’t straightforward. As a child, he struggled with literacy, possibly due to undiagnosed dyslexia. But he found his voice through performance — spoken word, music, and eventually poetry.

“Performance saved me,” he says. “It wasn’t about the page. It was about rhythm, emotion, and expression. Poetry came alive through the mic, not the pen.”

Before poetry, he was a rapper. He stripped away the beat and found freedom in spoken word. That hip-hop foundation still shapes his work today.

“My poetry is hip-hop inspired,” he explains. “It’s structured but free. Still storytelling — with rhythm and room to breathe.”

This blend of performance and pedagogy led him to create The Underground Creatives, a business delivering performing arts workshops for young people. For over a decade, he’s used poetry to engage schools, communities, and marginalised voices.

Attached are details of the concert.