Francesca Beard

‘Before Sleep’ is a commissioned poem by Francesca Beard. It was written in response to the Arena film Phillip K Dick: A Day in the Afterlife and premiered at the Your Local Arena presents A Day in the Afterlife event Manchester Literature Festival on 19 October 2024 at Manchester Central Library.

Francesca Beard is a performance poet who has worked with audiences and artists in over 23 countries through her work with the British Council. She collaborates with communities and institutions to create public-facing experiences that ask challenging questions with kindness and good humour. She has been poet-in-residence at The Barbican, BBC White City, The Tower of London and the Natural History Museum. Her solo shows include Chinese Whispers, How to Survive A Post-Truth Apocalypse and Confabulation.

You can download Francesca’s new poem ‘Before Sleep’ by clicking on the link opposite and watch her read the poem on You Tube.

Your Local Arena is a unique project featuring iconic films from the archives of BBC TV’s Arena, the pioneering cultural documentary series. It includes new poems inspired by the Arena films and panel talks to explore the continuing relevance of the Arena archives today. The Your Local Arena concept was developed by Lucy Hannah and Speaking Volumes, with Arena’s award-winning director/editor Anthony Wall as creative consultant, and funded by Arts Council England.