A Toast to the People: Jay Bernard & Debris Stevenson
Awarded young performers Jay Bernard and Debris Stevenson unleash dynamism in this exciting A Toast to the People offering.
Join Jay Bernard and Debris Stevenson for an electric night of performance poetry and spoken word in the International Festival’s Old College Quad venue. Expect this spoken word event by two of today’s most exciting young performers to be nothing short of compelling.
Jay Bernard is a writer and inter-disciplinary artist whose rigorous and impactful work is rooted in social history. Their debut collection Surge won the 2017 Ted Hughes Award and they were named Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year in 2020. Bernard introduces their specially commissioned work, which will be performed by another performer, before taking part in the event’s discussion session.
This A Toast to the People event brings Bernard together with Debris Stevenson, a dyslexic academic, Grime-poet and Bashment dancing social activist whose work explores the intersectional, unexpected and unjust. Her Grime musical, Poet in da Corner, (Royal Court) received critical acclaim and toured nationally alongside the show’s album release in 2020. Stevenson is currently developing several TV shows, a play for Hightide Theatre and The Write to Rave, an immersive play exploring raving as radicalism.
A Toast to the People brings together two spoken word artists, each performing their own set of performance poetry that includes a specially commissioned piece inspired by Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson’s ‘A Toast to the People’. Following their sets, the two artists take part in an exclusive discussion about their work and the pervading issues and themes of today.
Please note that Jefferson Tshabalala was originally scheduled to perform on this date. We are very grateful to Debris Stevenson for stepping in to replace him.
In partnership with Edinburgh International Book Festival
Made possible through the PLACE programme
Nadine Aisha Jassat Host
Booking guidance
All ticket prices are inclusive of fees. In line with our commitment to environmental sustainability, we would encourage you to opt for electronic tickets, however, if you choose to receive your tickets in the post you will be charged £2 for postage. If you are using e-tickets, please download them in advance of your visit so that they are available offline and ensure that your phone is sufficiently charged.
We encourage customers to book online or by phone, but if you require in person assistance with your booking you can arrange an appointment by contacting us on boxoffice@eif.co.uk or +44 (0) 131 473 2000. The Edinburgh International Festival Box Office is based at The Hub, Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NE.
Concessions
Under-18s are entitled to a 50% discount. There is a 30% discount for disabled people, recipients of pension credit, universal credit, employment and support allowance or jobseeker's allowance, art workers, full-time students and 18-25 year-olds . Subject to availability and may exclude top-price tickets. Proof of eligibility may be requested at venues.
Ticket prices may vary from previously published prices.
Your safety
The Festival will follow Scottish Government and City of Edinburgh Council health and safety recommendations at all times to ensure the safety of our audiences, artists and team. Please continue to check our Visit Us page for the latest COVID-19 safety measures at the International Festival.
Ticket exchanges & refunds
If you or anyone in your household has had any recent COVID-19 symptoms, please stay at home for everyone’s safety. If you are unable to attend any event at the 2022 Edinburgh International Festival for any reason related to COVID-19, we will refund the full cost of the ticket to the lead booker. Refunds must be requested at least 24 hours in advance of the performance. Postage fees are non-refundable.
For extra peace of mind, we are continuing to offer Ticket Protection via Secure My Booking, which allows you to recoup 100% of the money paid for your tickets if you are unable to attend an event that hasn’t been cancelled or rescheduled. This optional extra costs £1.50 per ticket and is available at the time of booking. For more information, please visit securemybooking.com
Ticket exchanges may be available for a different performance of the same event, subject to availability. Ticket exchanges cost £1.50 per ticket, as well as any difference in ticket price that may occur as a result of the ticket exchange.