Nathan Walker is an artist and writer from West Cumbria, UK.
Nathan works across and between performance art and poetry, exploring both the body and the page as sites for vocal exploration and the manipulation of sound and speech. They have developed their own vocal techniques for making audible non-linguistic and illegible marks on the page. They often describe their work as ‘action poetry’, reviving the term associated with sound poetry to consider poetry as a embodied and physical act.
Their performances often take place over extended durations, sometimes several hours, during which time Nathan constructs spaces of intense listening and attention. They have performed internationally at festivals and galleries including Finland, USA, Germany, Italy and the UK.
Their scores for vocal performances use collage, writing constraints and descriptions of previous performances to generate new approaches to reading, vocalisation and performance. Their scores and poetry have been published in books, magazines and journals most recently in the anthology 100 Queer Poems edited by Mary Jean Chan & Andrew McMillan (Vintage 2022), Tripwire (USA), Mantis Journal (Stanford), The Queer Anthology of Wilderness (Pilot Press), and Blackbox Manifold (Sheffield).
Their book Condensations was published in 2017 by Uniformbooks. Condensations arranges language as a collection of slow-collage-word-terrains where language is overlaid in dense textual marks to be navigated by the reader. Condensations was constructed following a residency at the Armitt Museum and Library in Ambleside, Cumbria and led to a commission for BBC Radio 3’s poetry programme The Verb. This book length score for vocal performance was listed as one of the The White Review’s Books of The Year (2017).
Their book of computer generated performance scores, Action Score Generator, was published by If P Then Q in 2015 and exhibited as part of Conceptual Poetics exhibition at the Poetry Library.
Between 2009 and 2019 Nathan co-founded and co-curated the arts organisation Oui Performance with artist Victoria Gray. Together they presented a series of performance art events in York, North Yorkshire programming over 50 artists to produce new performance works.
Nathan’s PhD considered the relationship between performance art and poetry. They are senior lecturer of time-based practices in Fine Art & Photography at York St John University.
Books
Condensations (2017) Uniformbooks, Devon
Action Score Generator (2015) if p then q, Manchester
Recent Publications
2022 100 Queer Poems
2021 Jarg Issue 3
2021 Babel Tower Notice Board
2021 101 Words for Edwin Morgan [link]
2020 Practice Sharing [link]
2020 Futch Press Blog [link]
2020 Tripwire 16
2020 A Queer Anthology of Wilderness [link]
2019 Blackbox Manifold 23 [link]
2019 Amberflora Issue 8 [link]
2019 Datableed Issue 11 [link]
2019 Mantis Journal [link]
2018 A Queer Anthology of Rage [link]
2018 Cumulus Journal Issue 2 [link]
2018 Uniformannual
2018 Gorse Magazine Issue 9
2017 Alterity Journal Issue One
2016 Datableed Magazine Issue 2
2016 Huellkurven Magazine Issue 4
2015 Huellkurven Magazine Issue 2
Selected Commissions & Residencies
2017 The Verb, BBC Radio 3, Broadcast 03/03/17
2016 Armitt Museum & Gallery, Ambleside, Cumbria
2014 Performance Space, London
2011 Project Space Leeds, Leeds
Awards
2020 Coward Foundation, Analogue Photography Grant
2016 Arts Council England, Grants for the Arts
2007 AHRC Professional Preparation Masters Scheme
2007 Impetus Award for Socially Engaged Arts Practice, The Institute for Global Ethics, UK Trust
Condensations (2017) Uniformbooks, Devon
Action Score Generator (2015) if p then q, Manchester
Recent Publications
2022 100 Queer Poems
2021 Jarg Issue 3
2021 Babel Tower Notice Board
2021 101 Words for Edwin Morgan [link]
2020 Practice Sharing [link]
2020 Futch Press Blog [link]
2020 Tripwire 16
2020 A Queer Anthology of Wilderness [link]
2019 Blackbox Manifold 23 [link]
2019 Amberflora Issue 8 [link]
2019 Datableed Issue 11 [link]
2019 Mantis Journal [link]
2018 A Queer Anthology of Rage [link]
2018 Cumulus Journal Issue 2 [link]
2018 Uniformannual
2018 Gorse Magazine Issue 9
2017 Alterity Journal Issue One
2016 Datableed Magazine Issue 2
2016 Huellkurven Magazine Issue 4
2015 Huellkurven Magazine Issue 2
Selected Commissions & Residencies
2017 The Verb, BBC Radio 3, Broadcast 03/03/17
2016 Armitt Museum & Gallery, Ambleside, Cumbria
2014 Performance Space, London
2011 Project Space Leeds, Leeds
Awards
2020 Coward Foundation, Analogue Photography Grant
2016 Arts Council England, Grants for the Arts
2007 AHRC Professional Preparation Masters Scheme
2007 Impetus Award for Socially Engaged Arts Practice, The Institute for Global Ethics, UK Trust
Recent Exhibitions & Performances
2022 Surrey Poetry Festival
2022 BIFPA, Belfast
2022 Vessel Gallery, York
2021 Interval ° 11, Germany
2021 Spill Yer Tea 5 [online]
2020 Slant, Forms in Flux [online]
2019 Research Pavillion, 58th Venice Biennale
2018 State of Move, Helsinki
2018 Poetry Emergency, Manchester
2016 English PEN Modern Literature Festival, London
2016 Flare 2, Gallery North, Newcastle Upon Tyne
2016 Conceptual Poetics, Poetry Library, London
2015 Drafting, Baltic 39, Newcastle Upon Tyne
2015 Word Work, &Model Gallery, Leeds
2014 Experimentica, Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff
2014 Shady Dealings with Language, Bökship, London
2013 Residency, Performance Space, London
Recent Talks & Lectures
2022 In Conversation with John Court, BIFPA, Ulster University
2021 Artists Talk for Leeds University
2021 Language Based Research Gathering: A Collateral Reading [link]
2020 Artists Talk at School of Art Institute, Chicago, IL.
2017 Mountainsides: On Composition, Artists Talk at University of Leeds
2014 Artists Talk at L’ecole Beaux Arts Nantes, France
2017 Lilies Under the Tongue, presented at Queering Ritual, York St John University, York
2015 Writing Actions: Durational Writing in Performance, presented at Work, Performance Poetry, Northumbria University & Northern Charter, Newcastle Upon Tyne
2014 Pages as Performing Spaces, Talk at Counter: Plymouth
Artists Books Fair, Plymouth Arts Centre
2014 Action Score Generator: Permutation, Performance & Writing Machines, Performance and New Technologies Working Group, TaPRA 2014, Royal Holloway University, London
2014 Six Words Short: Textual Instruction Events, presented at Modular Form Symposium, University of Roehampton, London
2013 Sounding.js, presented at International E-Poetry Festival 2013, Kingston University, London
2022 Surrey Poetry Festival
2022 BIFPA, Belfast
2022 Vessel Gallery, York
2021 Interval ° 11, Germany
2021 Spill Yer Tea 5 [online]
2020 Slant, Forms in Flux [online]
2019 Research Pavillion, 58th Venice Biennale
2018 State of Move, Helsinki
2018 Poetry Emergency, Manchester
2016 English PEN Modern Literature Festival, London
2016 Flare 2, Gallery North, Newcastle Upon Tyne
2016 Conceptual Poetics, Poetry Library, London
2015 Drafting, Baltic 39, Newcastle Upon Tyne
2015 Word Work, &Model Gallery, Leeds
2014 Experimentica, Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff
2014 Shady Dealings with Language, Bökship, London
2013 Residency, Performance Space, London
Recent Talks & Lectures
2022 In Conversation with John Court, BIFPA, Ulster University
2021 Artists Talk for Leeds University
2021 Language Based Research Gathering: A Collateral Reading [link]
2020 Artists Talk at School of Art Institute, Chicago, IL.
2017 Mountainsides: On Composition, Artists Talk at University of Leeds
2014 Artists Talk at L’ecole Beaux Arts Nantes, France
2017 Lilies Under the Tongue, presented at Queering Ritual, York St John University, York
2015 Writing Actions: Durational Writing in Performance, presented at Work, Performance Poetry, Northumbria University & Northern Charter, Newcastle Upon Tyne
2014 Pages as Performing Spaces, Talk at Counter: Plymouth
Artists Books Fair, Plymouth Arts Centre
2014 Action Score Generator: Permutation, Performance & Writing Machines, Performance and New Technologies Working Group, TaPRA 2014, Royal Holloway University, London
2014 Six Words Short: Textual Instruction Events, presented at Modular Form Symposium, University of Roehampton, London
2013 Sounding.js, presented at International E-Poetry Festival 2013, Kingston University, London
Education
2019 PhD University of Salford, Manchester, UK - Thesis: 'Action Poetry: The Vocal-Body in Performance Art'
2013 Recognised Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
2008 MA in Performance Writing, Dartington College of Art, Devon, UK
Teaching & Workshops
2018 - Current - Senior Lecturer in Fine Art (Course Lead) & Photography at York St John University
2010 - 2018 Lecturer in Performance at York St John University
2014 Site, Writing, Noise, Three-Day Taught Workshop for Level 1 & 2 Students, with Roy Claire Potter at L’ecole Beaux Arts Nantes, France
2014 Action / Object, Two-Day Taught Workshop for Level 4 & 5 Students, with Roy Claire Potter, at L’ecole Beaux Arts Nantes, France
Curation
Between 2009 and 2019 Nathan co-founded and curated the arts organisation Oui Performance with artist Victoria Gray. Together they presented a series of performance art events in York, North Yorkshire programming over 50 artists to produce new performance works, curated artists included John Court, Didier Morelli, Sandra Johnston, Alastair MacLennan, Roy Claire Potter, Lee Hassall, Denys Blacker, Karen Mac Cormack, Anne Seagrave, Poppy Jackson & Steve McCaffery.
2013 Arts Council England, Grants for the Arts
2012 Arts Council England, Grants for the Arts
2010 Arts Council England, Grants for the Arts
2009 Arts Council England, Grants for the Arts
2019 PhD University of Salford, Manchester, UK - Thesis: 'Action Poetry: The Vocal-Body in Performance Art'
2013 Recognised Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
2008 MA in Performance Writing, Dartington College of Art, Devon, UK
Teaching & Workshops
2018 - Current - Senior Lecturer in Fine Art (Course Lead) & Photography at York St John University
2010 - 2018 Lecturer in Performance at York St John University
2014 Site, Writing, Noise, Three-Day Taught Workshop for Level 1 & 2 Students, with Roy Claire Potter at L’ecole Beaux Arts Nantes, France
2014 Action / Object, Two-Day Taught Workshop for Level 4 & 5 Students, with Roy Claire Potter, at L’ecole Beaux Arts Nantes, France
Between 2009 and 2019 Nathan co-founded and curated the arts organisation Oui Performance with artist Victoria Gray. Together they presented a series of performance art events in York, North Yorkshire programming over 50 artists to produce new performance works, curated artists included John Court, Didier Morelli, Sandra Johnston, Alastair MacLennan, Roy Claire Potter, Lee Hassall, Denys Blacker, Karen Mac Cormack, Anne Seagrave, Poppy Jackson & Steve McCaffery.
2013 Arts Council England, Grants for the Arts
2012 Arts Council England, Grants for the Arts
2010 Arts Council England, Grants for the Arts
2009 Arts Council England, Grants for the Arts