Piece of Work - Poetry Night

Piece of Work returns to the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery on Thursday 19 November, taking over the historic Tearoom in Chamberlain Square. It's one of the city's longest-running poetry nights, and it's back in the same spot it's called home for years.

The format is always the same: each night pairs a Midlands 'local legend' poet with an 'honorary Brummie' brought in from anywhere in the world. That's the core of the evening, and there's an open mic too, which you sign up for on the door and only gets you a slot if you've got a ticket. The whole thing is run by Birmingham poet Bradley Taylor, who's performed at the Hay Festival and the Cheltenham Literature Festival, and who you'll often find in the museum doing Poetry on Demand for strangers on his typewriter.

It's not just about the poetry, though. The night is held on the last Thursday of selected months, and it comes with a pre-show wander through the Level 2 galleries and a drink before the show starts. If you're more of a performer than a listener, there's a separate Open Mic at the Craft & Culture bar, which is dedicated entirely to passing the mic to anyone who wants to jump on.

Doors open at 6:00pm and the show starts at 7:00pm, so you've got plenty of time to walk the galleries and grab a drink first. Tickets are £12 for adults and £10 for concessions.