A poetic twist on rejection coming to Norden Farm in new exhibition

Artist and producer Abhi Arumbakkam attempts to take the sting out of rejections by repurposing them as poetry.

Redacted Poems from Rejection Emails is an exhibition at Norden Farm Centre for the Arts running from Tuesday, January 14, and Saturday, February 8.

Berkshire-based creative Abhi has been keeping hold of every rejection email she’s received since 2013.

These range from funding bid denials to job applications – an impressive 258 knockbacks so far.

Drawing inspiration from American artist Austin Kleon’s redacted poetry, Abhi has worked alongside local artist Grace Derriman.

This exhibition is Abhi’s attempt to find hidden poetry amid all the turn downs. It is Abhi’s way of turning lemons into lemonade – or, as she puts it, making manure from waste.

Abhi is a cultural curator, producer and playwright based in Slough.

Her work aims to reflect our diverse world through compelling narratives.

The exhibition is also an invitation to the audience to turn their hand at redacting email text to discover poetry with them.

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Abhi firmly believes that being turned down is inherent in any creative process, and that it should be embraced with both courage and vulnerability.

For her, it isn’t a mark of shame but a badge of honour, a pertinent reminder to celebrate the inevitable fallout of daring to try.

Visitors to the exhibition will have a chance to create their own poems by redacting Abhi’s emails.

They can share their creations using the #rejectionredacted.

How can you see the Rejection exhibition at Norden Farm?

Norden Farm is open Tuesdays to Saturdays from 5pm to 10pm. Free entry.

For more details, call the box office on 01628 788997 or log on to: https://norden.farm/events/redacted-poems-from-rejection-emails