The station at Longbenton on the Tyne and Wear Metro has become the unofficial poetry station in recent years and recently five new and original poems about the Metro have gone on display. All are written by local, professional poets as part of a project between Nexus and the Royal Literary Fund.
Anna Woodford explains more: “When I travelled through Longbenton during the pandemic, there were empty spaces in the advertising hoardings, and I thought that poetry might provide some comfort and distraction to people as we returned to our new normal.
“Nexus and The Royal Literary Fund have been fantastic in jointly supporting Poetry on the Platforms for five years now. Since 2021, the poems have been changed at least once a year, with different themes and styles. This new selection discusses various elements of the Metro itself, which none of them have done before, and I hope they provide interest and delight for local people as they go about their journeys.”
As well as Anna, poets Jo Clement, Degna Stone, Harry Man and Christy Ducker all have their work on display in large panels at the station.
Sarah McCourt, Head of Communications and Marketing at Nexus, said: “Displaying poetry is a great use of the space at Longbenton, and the poems look fantastic in the station. We’re always keen to support local cultural activity which might improve our customer experience and provide points of interest for those using our Metro system. Placing art and poetry in public places like train stations, where people don’t expect to see it, is a great way of introducing it to the public.”