I Don't March To That Drum

Aim

Funding the research and development phase 2 of a new poetry and music live show by poet Dean Atta and drummer Antosh Wojcik.

Premise:

I Don’t March to That Drum is a poetry and music project by Dean Atta and Antosh Wojcik.

I Don't March to That Drum takes poems from Dean Atta’s forthcoming poetry collection of the same name and sets them to music composed by Antosh Wojcik. Dean's poems celebrate his Blackness and queerness while acknowledging the challenges other Black and queer people have faced and continue to face worldwide. The show is a rallying cry for love and solidarity, urging us to stand together but march to the beat of our own drum. 

The Vision:

We had a successful first phase R&D at METAL, Southend on a week-long residency, honing the poems, set and sound palette for the live setting. Now we want to elevate the work to stand up as a touring show by bringing in a dramaturge/director and producer to support the narrative arc, performance and logistics of bringing this work to UK and international stages in 2027. We're invited back to METAL in July 2026 for 2 weeks to develop the work. 

Thank you for considering our project for your support!

Your Support:

We've set a goal of £5000 to fund the following:

• Artist fees for Dean Atta and Antosh Wojcik for the residency (14 days).
• Travel & per diems stipend.
• Dramaturge/Director fee (2-3 days).
• Dramaturge/Director travel, per diems & accommodation expenses.
• Producer fee for initial Arts Council bid work.

Any additional funds will be contributed to the project's budget and serve as match funding for the production/touring phase of the project.

Show Context:

Taylor, young drummer boy for 78th Colored Troops (USCT) Infantry, in uniform with drum.

The poem "Boy in Uniform With Drum," is inspired by an image Dean found in the US Library of Congress image archive of Taylor, a young drummer boy for 78th Colored Troops (USCT) Infantry during the US Civil War. The US features again in the poem "Hip Hop Line Dancing in Dallas," while other poems transport the audience to Cyprus, Jamaica, and India, and invite them to reflect on themes of protest and solidarity in the face of institutional, governmental and colonial powers. The 45min-1hr performance will travel across continents and through time on dancefloors, battlefields, and various sites of protests.  

The titular poem “I Don't March to That Drum” commemorates the tragedy of the Pulse gay nightclub mass shooting in 2016 in which Omar Mateen shot and killed 49 people and wounded 53 in Orlando, Florida, United States. 

Testimonials:

'It's poetry that can unite people and get them marching to the beat of a drum' - Alex Ferguson, Fuel Theatre

'A wonderful piece of heart - I love the synergies, the rhythms and the transportation of us from the physical space, to the word space, to the heart space' - Fabian M Thomas, Performing arts specialist, artistic director

'A dynamic work, matching the personal and the global, bringing intersectionality to the forefront' - Phoebe Constantine, actor, producer

'This is the future. The synergy is there, your natural care for each other really shines through' - S. Reeson, poet, facilitator, mental health advocate

About Us:

Dean Atta is a BAFTA award-winning screenwriter and Stonewall Book Award-winning author from London. Best known for his young adult novel in verse, The Black Flamingo, and the stop-motion animation, Two Black Boys in Paradise, his heartfelt storytelling draws on his Greek Cypriot and Jamaican heritage as well as his queer identity. Dean is a patron of LGBT+ History Month and Chair of the Poetry and Spoken Word Group of the Society of Authors. Dean has published three young adult novels in verse, two poetry collections, two picture books, and a memoir. His debut adult novel, Big Man, will be published by Cipher Press in September 2026. 

Antosh Wojcik is a poet, drummer and cross-disciplinary artist. He produces music as /weirdtoday and is a co-founder of Sleepwalker Studios with writer-director Xenia Glen. His work explores memory, heritage, labour, time, and destabilisation. His debut poetry collection, Suburban Locust, was published by Bad Betty Press in October 2025.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 1st July 2026 at 12:00pm