05Fest has opened at The Albany in South East London's Deptford. Part of We Are Lewisham, a collaboration between the venue and Lewisham Council as the Mayor's London Borough of Culture, the festival runs until 19 March under the curation of multi-award-winning playwright (Barber Shop Chronicles, The Half-God of Rainfall), poet, performer, Inua Ellams.
The engaging, Nigerian-born Ellams is now a resident of the borough and kicked off 05Fest with a personal introduction to the packed audience gathered to hear a rehearsed reading of his new play A Block of Flats.
Ellams is back in person for Search Party, an audience-led evening of poetry and he also joins other poets for a new work event which follows a screening of cult classic Babylon.
Next week sees Ellams return for his mass-participation Twitter Poetry Workshop and to round off his personal mini season with a hip-hop party.