Simba Sessions Presents: Mandy Connell, Hayley Ricketson & South Isle

The Simba Sessions is small growing community drawn together by music, poetry and story. We build community and seek to hold safe spaces. Here we nurture and celebrate the creative spirit understanding that the stories that lay behind the art are often as powerful as the art itself.

Join us with for a ‘quiet night in’ to explore our stories in poetry and song in candle-lit, wine-soaked warmth. It will be a night not to miss!

This month we showcase the heart-felt folk music of Mandy Connell and intoxicating duel harmonies of South Ise, with our feature poet, the beloved Hayley Ricketson returning to the Simba stage.

Theme: Uncertain

About our Artists:

Mandy Connell is an award winning performer songwriter in her forties, known best for her collaborative approach to work and strong ethos of community building. Connell is a respected member of the folk and independent music industry, a frequent contributor to projects by Artists like Above The Bit and David Francey. With a background of Celtic, Anglo and world folk traditions, she draws on a range of influences and these can vary from show to show, offering a continually refreshed experience, much like Margret RoadKnight or Ruth Hazleton. 

Hayley Ricketson is a poet, playwright and probably writes most from the impetus that the personal is political – and the political is personal. She discovered spoken word poetry when living in London and has been a Slam finalist in London and Melbourne, and is currently lucky enough to be part of the Melbourne Slamalamadingdong Poetry Team. Playwriting is her love language but overall she loves creative writing and expression in all its forms, particularly when it’s communicating something honest, human and maybe a bit funny.