Sonic Language / Poetic Noise Masterclass

The phonetic poetic; explore the wondrous worlds in which poetry and sound collide.

This Masterclass dives into the sonic possibilities of poetry and the poetic possibilities of sound. From the poet’s relationship with their vocal instrument and the sonic potential of recorded speech to the power of repetition, the joys of simultaneity, and the challenge of improvisation, this course offers various ways into investigating, activating, and playing with sound through poetry and poetry through sound.

Each assignment will invite students to experiment with new methods and approaches to poetry, first as vocalists, then as parrots, as composers, as choruses and as improvisers. Throughout the course, you will discover audio works by some of the most exciting and innovative poets and artists exploring the sonic materiality of language today, including Pamela Z, Nat Raha, Nicola Woodham, Julie Ezelle-Paton, Lore Lixenberg, and Maggie Nichols.

This course is suitable for poets interested in sound and sound artists and musicians interested in poetry, as well as artists with more established hybrid practices. Students will be welcome to share videos, sound recordings, and visual scores, while also being free to stick to page-based pieces.

Masterclasses are an expanded version of our International Courses, with a much deeper consideration of technical craft and critical theory. These 12-week courses (maximum 12 places) are for advanced students only, and fluency with poetic language and ideas will be assumed. There are no live chats and they are suitable for UK and International students.

Concessions & Accessibility

To apply for a concession rate, please send relevant documentation showing your eligibility for one of our concessions to [email protected]. Conditions of eligibility are detailed here. If you have any questions or wish to be added to the waiting list of a sold-out course, please email [email protected].

What to Expect

Please check the left hand side of this page for information on how this course works in practice, under the heading ‘Course Style‘. If you’re unsure as to what any of the terms there mean, or if this course is a good fit for you, please visit our What to Expect page which includes some further information on how our courses function.

Image credit: @ricrawfo

About Iris Colomb View Profile

Iris Colomb is always searching for new ways of making, performing and experiencing poetry. Her practice involves building connections between visual and verbal forms of text through projects involving performance, sound, objects, improvisation, chance, multilingual writing, and experimental translation. A selection of her visual, sonic and performative works was recently exhibited as part of her first solo show ‘Try! Try! Try! Again!’ at the Southbank Centre’s National Poetry Library.

Iris has given individual, collaborative, interactive, and durational performances online as well as in the UK, France, Germany, Norway, Austria, Romania, and Chile; at Intrications Poeìtiques Transnationales (Paris), the Bucharest International Poetry Festival, the international transmedial poetic festival räume für notizen (“room for notes”, Vienna), and the Southbank Centre’s Poetry International Festival, among others.

She is one half of text-sound duo [something’s happening] with musician Daryl Worthington. She also plays in improvising trios Small Print Drama (with Douglas Benford and Tom Ward) and TheThreeFeet (with John Bisset and Andrew Ciccone), as well as being a member of London Improvisors Orchestra. Recent sound-text releases include ‘A map has always been an attempt’ (Strategic Tape Reserve, 2025) and Buzz (CD, Flaming Pines, 2025), both with [something’s happening] and ‘BLAST is correct’ with TheThreeFeet (CD, 2:13 Music, 2026).

Her first full-length poetry collection, Nothing Intensifies, was published by Pamenar Press earlier this year. She has alos published five poetry pamphlets, including Just Promise You Won’t Write (Gang Press, 2019), Ridiculous Unlikely Attempt (Hesterglock Press, 2023) and Where Do You Begin in This (Ma Bibliothèque, 2024). Her poems have also appeared in several UK magazines and anthologies, as well as French, Austrian, Hungarian, Spanish, German, Brazilian, Chilean and US publications.

"Poetry School has improved my writing, my confidence and my knowledge, provided a space to get to know other poets and to keep my work central to my life when I am overwhelmed with work."

- Autumn 2025 Survey Response

The Poetry School