Social Media Content Creation

Shore Poets is a collective of poets based in Edinburgh, Scotland, known for organising monthly poetry readings and events. Founded in 1991, the group has become an integral part of Edinburgh's literary scene, providing a platform for both established and emerging poets to share their work.

The Instagram page for Shore Poets is an example, their vibrant platform showcases the work of a passionate poetry community in Edinburgh. Through carefully curated, brand-aligned content, the page engages with followers by highlighting upcoming events, featuring poets, and sharing insightful poetry-related content. The Shore Poets logo (not created by me) is always prominently included in posts, reinforcing brand identity and ensuring a cohesive visual presence. Each post is crafted to resonate with the audience, fostering a deep connection and growing a loyal online community. By maintaining a consistent visual and thematic identity, the page successfully increases awareness of the Shore Poets' events and initiatives, while also encouraging active participation and engagement from followers.

When designing content for Shore Poets, I focus on aligning each piece with the brand’s identity and audience. I start by understanding the post’s goals, whether promoting events or highlighting poets. I then craft visually engaging content using a consistent layout, always featuring the Shore Poets logo prominently. Tailoring each design to fit Instagram’s visual nature, I create posts that capture attention, foster connection, and drive engagement.

Monthly Readings: The group organizes monthly poetry readings, typically held on the last Sunday of each month. These events feature a mix of local, national, and sometimes international poets. The readings often include a combination of featured poets, an open mic segment, and musical performances.

Promoting New Voices: Shore Poets is committed to fostering new talent. They regularly showcase emerging poets, giving them the opportunity to perform alongside more experienced poets.

Diverse Range of Poetry: The collective is known for embracing a wide variety of poetic styles and themes. The readings often feature a diverse lineup, reflecting the richness of contemporary poetry.

Community Engagement: Shore Poets has built a strong community around its events. The group emphasises creating an inclusive and welcoming atmosphere, encouraging audience participation and interaction.

Legacy: Over the years, Shore Poets has featured many well-known poets, contributing significantly to the literary culture in Scotland. Some of the poets who have been involved with Shore Poets have gone on to achieve national and international recognition.

Parabola is part of the vibrant and evolving community at Edinburgh Park, a major development on the western edge of Edinburgh. Edinburgh Park is undergoing significant transformation, becoming a cultural and business hub with a blend of residential, commercial, and public spaces. This development includes a mix of offices, retail spaces, homes, and public amenities, designed with a focus on sustainability and community engagement. The architecture and landscaping are intended to reflect a modern, dynamic environment that supports both work and leisure.

The development includes features like extensive green spaces, public art installations, and facilities aimed at fostering a vibrant community atmosphere. Edinburgh Park itself is well-connected by public transport, including trams and trains, making it easily accessible from different parts of the city.

Creating a poster to celebrate the launch of Edinburgh Park's inaugural literary zine, Polaris, was an exciting challenge that allowed me to blend visual aesthetics with the literary and artistic spirit of the event.

Understanding the Theme: The pilot edition of Polaris centres around Leon Kossoff’s artwork, ‘Minerva Protects Pax From Mars,’ which has been transformed into a tapestry by Edinburgh’s Dovecot Studio. This rich visual inspiration was my starting point. The artwork’s historical and artistic significance provided a deep well of imagery and mood to draw from.

Incorporating Key Details: I needed to ensure that the poster effectively communicated the essential details:

The launch date and event: The poetry evening on December 6, 2023.

Featured poets: Elle Nash, Rob A Mackenzie, and JL Williams.

The host: Janette Ayachi, Edinburgh Park's Poet in Residence.

Information about Polaris as a bi-annual zine and its focus on local art.

Artwork Integration: I created a high resolution mockup of the lit. zine. that shows beautifully the intricate patterns and textures of the tapestry tying the design directly to the zine’s core inspiration.

Colour Palette: I chose a colour scheme that is eye catching yet minimalist o evoke the seasonal and artistic tone of the publication.

Typography: The fonts were carefully selected to balance readability with an artistic flair. A classic serif font was used for the main details to give a touch of sophistication, while a more modern, clean sans-serif was used for the event details. Along with a decorative font for balance and detail.

Layout and Composition: The poster’s layout was designed to guide the viewer’s eye through the essential information in a logical flow. The event title and date were prominently displayed at the top, followed by the details of the poetry evening on the accompanying poster.

Outcome: The final poster was a blend of elegance and information, reflecting both the literary and artistic aspects of the Polaris launch. It served not only as a promotional tool for the poetry evening but also as a piece of art in itself, celebrating Edinburgh Park’s commitment to culture and creativity.

Janette Ayachi is a Scottish-Algerian poet and writer based in Edinburgh. She is celebrated for her vivid and emotionally resonant poetry, which often explores themes of identity, belonging, and the interplay between culture and personal history. Her debut collection, Hand Over Mouth Music, won the 2019 Saltire Literary Award for Poetry Book of the Year, establishing her as a significant voice in contemporary Scottish literature. In addition to her poetry, Ayachi mentors emerging poets and participates in literary festivals across the UK and internationally​.

For Janette Ayachi's book launch, I created a series of social media posts designed to generate excitement and engagement across her platforms, particularly on Instagram. The posts were crafted to visually reflect the themes of her new book, capturing its essence while appealing to her audience.

The content highlighted key details about the launch, such as the event date and where to purchase the book, accompanied by striking imagery related to the book's cover and excerpts. Along with biographies of the support performers. The overall strategy was to create a cohesive visual and narrative experience that would drive awareness and participation in the book launch event.

Creating TikTok videos for this client involved capturing her unique poetic style in a format that resonates with the platform’s audience. The process focused on short, impactful clips that highlighted her reciting key excerpts from her poetry, coupled with visual elements that reflected her artistic identity. These videos were designed to be engaging and easily shareable, using TikTok’s creative tools to enhance the presentation while staying true to the emotional depth of her work. The goal was to expand her reach, connecting with a broader, more diverse audience through accessible, bite-sized content.

Creating a poetry reel for Janette Ayachi was an immersive and creative process that combined her evocative poetic content with visual storytelling. The project was designed to bring her words to life in a dynamic and engaging way, using Adobe Premiere Pro and Media Encoder as the primary tools.

The process began with selecting the most compelling excerpts from Janette Ayachi’s poetry that would resonate visually and emotionally with the audience. The goal was to capture the essence of her work—its themes of identity, mysticism, and the natural world—within a short, impactful reel. A clear conceptual framework was established, focusing on how the visuals would complement and enhance the mood of the poetry.

In Adobe Premiere Pro, I synchronised Janette Ayachi’s audio recordings with video footage of her performing her poetry. The editing process focused on creating a seamless connection between her voice and presence, aligning her spoken words with her visual expressions. I carefully adjusted the pacing, transitions, and colour grading to enhance the overall mood, ensuring that the reel authentically captured the emotional depth of her poetry. Transitions and effects were meticulously applied to ensure a smooth flow between scenes, with careful attention to the pacing of the reel to match the rhythm and cadence of her poetry.

Once the editing was complete, the reel was exported using Adobe Media Encoder. This step ensured that the final product was optimised for various platforms, whether it be social media, her website, or presentation at events. Media Encoder allowed for adjustments in file size, resolution, and format, ensuring that the reel maintained high quality across different viewing environments.

The final stage involved reviewing the reel with Ayachi, gathering her feedback to ensure that the visual representation stayed true to her artistic vision. Any necessary refinements were made to polish the reel, ensuring that it effectively captured the essence of her poetry and connected with the audience on a deeper level.

The result was a visually striking and emotionally resonant poetry reel that not only showcased Janette Ayachi’s poetic talent but also created a compelling narrative through the synergy of spoken word and visual art. This reel serves as a powerful tool for promoting her work, whether in digital spaces or live literary events.