Danny Carlo Pandolfi is a poet, rapper and educator who founded the live poetry night Raise the Bar and co-directs the vibrant Lyra - Bristol Poetry Festival. Danny speaks to Epigram about Lyra Festival’s journey, the importance of creatives, and his artistic process.
Danny had been writing poems from a young age, rapping from 15 years old and performing by the time he had reached university – but his catalyst to founding Lyra Festival emerged during his time at the University of Bristol, as an undergraduate studying English and Philosophy.
‘I felt like there wasn’t an existing space for poetry as an event in Bristol, that was dynamic, fun, accessible, and really bridging that gap between poetry and hip-hop, storytelling and comedy,’ Danny explains. ‘I always envisioned this fun night out, with a DJ, a very eclectic range of poets and styles of poems that could be an interesting journey for an audience.’
This led him to set up Raise the Bar in his second year at University of Bristol, an exuberant and dynamic live poetry night. Danny’s interest in spoken word only grew, and he completed a masters in Transnational Writing at Bath Spa. Lyra Festival followed in 2019, which Danny co-directs with Dr Lucy English. After starting humbly as a long weekend, it now boasts 10 days of over 30 exciting events.
Danny acknowledges that poetry can appear daunting due to its association with academia. ‘I didn’t feel there was a link or a bridge between the poetry of academia […] and the city and the communities.’ Lyra was created to change that, with the motto ‘poetry is for everyone’.
For those who have never experienced live poetry before, Danny particularly recommends the Poetry Slam Finals. The event showcases a wide range of poetry styles, and real-world themes often based on the poets’ own experiences. It is competitive, which Danny describes as ‘ridiculous but fun, because how can you put a score on a poem as a concept? That’s outrageous! It’s audience-centred, it’s about reacting to lines and poems you like to influence the judges.’
Make sure to explore Lyra’s programme, running April 25 to May 4, since there truly is an event for everyone. If you would like to create poetry of your own, Lyra is running various workshops in person and online. If you are tempted to perform yourself, or if you just want to hear an eclectic range of poetry, there are multiple inspiring and welcoming Open Mic events – including events for queer poets and for women poets. Lyra even hosts walking tours where you can discover Bristol’s intriguing literary history.
The city itself is the beating heart of Lyra festival. Danny explains ‘We try to work with lots of different communities in Bristol, using poetry as a vehicle to tell the story of individuals or a particular community’. This includes Lyra annually appointing a Young City Poet, after bringing poets to run workshops in schools around Bristol.
However, Lyra is also ‘becoming increasingly interested in becoming a cultural bridge between other cities around the world.’ Last year, they collaborated on an event with poets from Ashesi University in Ghana. This year’s slam headliner is Arielle Cottingham, as part of a cultural exchange with Berlin Spoken Word.
‘Community, connection and creativity are the three Cs which encompass Lyra in terms of our values. […] Our desire is to bring as many people as possible through the door, to feel like it’s a place for them, both in the auditorium and on the stage.’
Lyra Festival shines as a beacon of hope in the current climate in the UK, with recent cuts to support for the arts. Danny acknowledges ‘It’s a very difficult landscape for culture and the arts, particularly in terms of funding and getting the people with power to recognise the value of the arts.’
Despite this uncertainty, Danny urges that it is more important than ever to create. ‘Film, music, poetry, and the creativity that is intrinsic in us, is such an important medium of telling stories, connecting people together, particularly in divided times.
‘It can feel scary if you have ambitions and dreams in those sectors, understandably. But it is vital that people keep creating and keep pursuing those dreams. And keep believing in that power of what they do […] to add incredible value and meaning to this world and to enrich people’s lives.
‘We believe in our ability to do that in our small way as a festival. I try to hold on to that as an artist and facilitator myself. And I would encourage people to believe in their own ability and believe in their art.’
Danny is currently experimenting with writing in new ways and working on poetry for publication. He says, ‘I value the time to just create, in a process driven, not product driven way’. This time is rarer for him now, since he balances this with curation, events co-ordination, and facilitation – but it is extremely important. He says ‘Poetry is an art form that has been integral to human expression for thousands of years. Before the pen. The power of storytelling is woven into the very fibre of our being.’
His advice to any students wanting to work on your own poetry is to ‘write, write, write’ and to read beyond your comfort zone. To students who would like to perform, Danny encourages you to ‘go to open mic events, to a slam competition, perform in unexpected spaces and see how your work is received, attend events and watch what other people are doing.’
Most importantly he emphasises ‘Young people who have something to say – the world needs to hear it, so please share it!’
Lyra Festival is returning from April 25 - May 4, 2025. The full programme and tickets are available here.
