OmniVerse Brings Hidden Voices to the Fore in Portland & Weymouth A Towns of Culture 2025 Commission

Peter Roe, a physically disabled, neurodivergent performance poet, and Naomi Wilcox-Lee, a local Weymouth community activist and member of the LGBTQ+ community, are the compères of the Weymouth and Portland Spoken Words nights and facilitators of the OmniVerse Poetry workshops. Peter is the Managing Editor of The Jawbone Collective CIC, while Naomi hosts Proud Poems spoken word night in Dorchester. 

Poetry will take to the streets, cafés, and harbours this summer as OmniVerse - a bold new literary project from the Jawbone Collective – brings verse and voice into public spaces across Portland and Weymouth. Funded through the Towns of Culture 2025 Reveal Launchpad Fund, the project centres marginalised voices and reframes how poetry is experienced in everyday life.

OmniVerse invites audiences to encounter new perspectives through:

• Two free workshops supporting poets whose voices have historically been underrepresented:

  • 21st June, 11am–2pm at Outpost, B-Side, Portland

  • 5th July, 11am–2pm at The Palm House, Swannery Lake, Weymouth

• Spoken Word Nights celebrating poetic expression and community:

  • 17th July, 7pm at Caffeine, 44 The Esplanade, Weymouth - Free entry

  • 15th August, 7pm at Royal Manor Theatre, Fortuneswell, Portland - £4 entry

• A public poetry trail from 1st - 31st August, featuring fragments of poetry placed across both towns in shopfronts, beaches, harbours, and public walkways. Audio recordings accessible via QR codes invite passers-by to listen in on local voices.

Naomi Wilcox-Lee of the Jawbone Collective said:  “This project is about visibility - not just of poetry, but of people. We’re inviting residents and visitors to encounter the diverse voices that shape these towns, in the places we all share.”

Councillor Carralyn Parkes of Portland Town Council and Councillor Alex Fuhrmann of Weymouth Town Council - nominated representatives on the Portland & Weymouth Towns of Culture project board said:  “OmniVerse perfectly captures what Towns of Culture is all about - giving space to voices that deserve to be heard and using creativity to connect communities. This is a thoughtful, ambitious project that brings poetry into the everyday and celebrates the people who make our towns unique.”

Through workshops, live performance, and a town-wide poetry trail, OmniVerse empowers emerging poets while creating a cultural asset that anyone can engage with. The project also embraces environmental sustainability with digital-first delivery and strong community partnerships.