What is the point of travelling to a new place if you do not get immersed in the daily life of it? Nakuru, a usually quiet and relatively calm town, comes to life in two instances; weekend night-life and social events such as rugby games. However, there are other smaller, less exposed scenes such as the poetry scene that frequently bring the artsy kind together for a few hours of beautiful poetry and music. If you happen to be in Nakuru and would love to attend such a show, here is a list of five places to check.
Agora
The brainchild of three childhood friends, Upgrade Poetry has now grown to be the largest poetry event in Nakuru. It happens every last Sunday of the month at Agora, in Milimani. The 3-4 hour event features upcoming and established poets and artists alike. The event also sells other items including drinks and snacks to help support its running. In case you are interested in performing at upgrade, get in touch with the administrators via their Facebook and Twitter handles Upgrade Poetry and @upgradepoetry_nakuru respectively. The charges are usually 250/= for advanced tickets and 500/= at the gate.
Moca Loca
Every Sunday between 2p.m and 5p.m, Moca Loca hosts Jazz Sundays. At only Ksh 500, you get to enjoy raw talent at its best. With flutists, bassists, saxophonists and poetry artists to carry you into a realm of tranquillity, you will barely notice the time pass by. Being a restaurant, Moca Loca serves different foods and beverages during this time and will occasionally give the attendants a great offer on pizza! Being every Sunday, you do not have to plan your schedule too strictly to catch this amazing show.
Players Theatre
Just like most artistic theatres, this is a hub of all sorts of gifted individuals. Going here any day, you will find different groups spread on the venue’s grounds either rehearsing, auditioning or simply having fun. It is only natural therefore that the theatre hosts poetry occasionally. Although there are no specific poetry calendars, two weeks will rarely pass without having a poetry show. Subscribing to their facebook page is bound to keep you in the know.
IVSUM
IVSUM is a poetry-based evening of art and music that happens every Tuesday and Thursday evenings (7p.m-9p.m) at Egerton University, Njoro Campus. Founded by former Egerton alumni, the show continues to give open platforms to artists who would like to display and grow their craft. The evening events are always free, but every semester. The organizers will plan a grand event on a weekend that helps bring more people together aside from the usual student community. This event has some charges to it that vary from one show to another.
Street Poetry
What started out as a monthly event, is now a bi-annual occurrence on the streets of Nakuru. Since the dates vary every year, there are no specific details on time. However, Street Poetry is free and open to anyone who enjoys poetry and music. The event usually happens at the alley between Maasai Market and Standard Chartered Bank. However, this is not always definite. Street Poetry is however different from the other highlighted shows as it is larger and louder than all four combined.