Matt Howard has recently joined CCI as the first Poet in Residence to be based in the David Attenborough Building. His residency forms part of CCI’s Arts, Science and Conservation programme, a series of collaborations that aim to explore novel ways of bringing together the arts and sciences to foster the conservation of biodiversity.

Matt is an increasingly established poet whose was published in a debut pamphlet, The Organ Box, by Eyewear in 2014. That year he was selected as one of the Aldeburgh Poetry Festival’s new voices, and has been widely published in journals like The Poetry Review, Ambit, New Statesman and The Dark Horse.  He is a steering group member of the arts science collaborative, New Networks for Nature.

Currently working in fundraising for the RSPB Eastern England team, one of CCI’s member organisations, Matt’s work includes exploring engagement with the arts, and he is the catalyst for the RSPB, BirdLife, and CCI Rialto Poetry Competition on Nature and Place. Judged by the poet and essayist, Kathleen Jamie in 2017; building on the success of the competition is a key aspect of Matt’s residency in the DAB.  On sabbatical from the RSPB, he will spend one week a month as the Poet in Residence, working from the DAB’s ‘Artist in Residence’ space.

As well as having time to write and network with CCI member organisations, Matt will be working on several poetry initiatives, including organising events with poets like Ruth Padel, Bejan Matur and Jen Hadfield, a collaboration with the magazine Modern Poetry in Translation, and opportunities for early career poets to engage with CCI to produce new work for publication and performance.

During his residency, Matt will offer colleagues from CCI member organisations opportunities to engage with poetry. This will include offering one to ones with people interested in developing their own writing and reading and establishing a workshop group for those interested in writing new poems.

Find out more information on CCI’s Arts, Science and Conservation work.