Poets and musicians came together for an evening of spontaneous creativity as poetry met live jazz at an experimental event in Laxey on Friday.

Organised by Saoirse Coyle-Carroll through the group ‘X Poetry’, the ‘Jazz x Poetry’ evening invited poets to share their work while a group of musicians responded with live improvisations, creating a unique musical accompaniment to each performance.

Held at Laxey Working Men's Institute, the event brought together poets and musicians who had not necessarily worked together before, with each performance offering something different.

Saoirse said: ‘The night went better than I could have imagined. I always feel a certain amount of pressure when organising events because I really want everyone who comes along to have a lovely evening.’

‘There's something really tangible in the room when we do these events. The poet is putting their trust in musicians they've never met, and the musicians are responding to someone whose work they're hearing for the first time.’

The idea came about through Saoirse's own interest in the relationship between music and poetry, having often listened to music while writing.

'I think everyone in the room genuinely wants it to work, and that creates such an encouraging atmosphere. There's a real sense of everyone being in it together.'

After mentioning the concept to poet and musician Matthew, he helped bring the musicians on board, including trombonist and poet Jackie, alongside Ed, John and Martyn.

Saoirse said she had not been entirely sure what to expect but wanted to create something 'fun and a little bit different' which would give both poets and musicians the opportunity to try something new.

She added: 'What I loved was that every poem created something completely different.’

'The musicians were responding in the moment, so nothing was ever quite predictable. It gave everyone a new and exciting creative challenge, and there were moments when everything just clicked.'

For Saoirse, providing opportunities for local creatives to share their work is at the heart of the events she organises.

She originally started the X Poetry open mics to build a community around creativity and give people a welcoming space to express themselves.

She said: 'Giving people a space to express themselves in a safe, welcoming and fun environment is so valuable. It's also about giving people the opportunity to experience other people's creativity, discover something new and perhaps feel inspired to give it a go themselves.'

The evening attracted a mixture of regular attendees and newcomers, with Saoirse emphasising that the events are open to anyone who is curious and respectful of others.

She also praised Laxey Working Men's Institute for supporting community events and providing opportunities for new ideas to come to life.

Following the evening's success, Saoirse is already hoping to organise another Jazz x Poetry event next year.

She is also keen to experiment with other musical styles, potentially exploring folk, acoustic music or even electronic DJ performances.

'I'd love to keep creating opportunities for people to come together, try something new and have some fun.'