ERNESTO SAREZALE

Ernesto Sarezale is the pen name of a Basque cognitive scientist, award-winning poet, performer (spoken word, stand-up, cabaret, burlesque) and film maker living in London. He has hosted literary events such as Homophone, Glam Slam UK and the very successful erotic literary soiree Velvet Tongue. With an interest in the "urban experience", Ernesto's work usually deals with the 'queer body', exploring the paradoxes and complexities of sexual intimacy and the roles language and technology play in our interactions, in how we perceive ourselves and our bodies.

His work also includes: concrete and 'clickable' poetry, flash fiction, body art, multimedia performance (video, sound, word), video poetry and documentary.

(Photo by Cathal Moran)

PUBLISHED WORK

Ernesto's writing has been published in literary outlets such as Magma, Grey Suit, Chroma, Velvet Mafia, Little Raven, Polluto, Lunar Poetry, Crooked Fagazine, Spoken Word London Anti-Hate Anthology 2018, amongst others. He has a poetry book called 'In the name of the flesh'.

PERFORMANCE

Active in London’s poetry scene for many years, Ernesto has featured at many spoken word/comedy nights, multidisciplinary events, festivals, nightclubs, theatres and arts spaces - in London and beyond. Venues and events where Ernesto has presented his work include: The Poetry Cafe, The Comedy Store, the Edinburgh Fringe (with solo show In The Name of The Flesh), The ICA, the Battersea Arts Centre, Goldsmiths University, Southbank Centre (Moby-Dick Unabridged, Polari), Ronnie Scotts (Jazz Verse Jukebox), Hoxton Hall, The Roundhouse, RADA, Barons Court Theatre, Corsica Studios, Whitechapel Gallery, Rio Cinema, Bethnal Green Working Men's Club (The Double R Club), The Royal Vauxhall Tavern (Duckie), Camden People's Theatre, Phoenix Artist Club, Arcola Theatre, Vout-o-Reenees, ]performance s p a c e[ , The Comedy Pub, VFD, Espacio Gallery, Chats Palace, Hospital Club, Bistrotheque, Cobden Club, The Drill Hall, 291 Gallery, The Apothecary, Turnmills, The Foundry, museumMAN in Liverpool, Royal Academy School's Gallery, The Flying Dutchman, Resistance Gallery, Poetry at The Room, BaskFest, Queer Storytelling Festival, The International Workshop Festival, Guerrilla Zoo, Poetry Brothel London, Naked Boys Reading, Let's Talk About Gay Sex & Drugs, Pelucas y tacones, Deep Trash, Queeruption, Queer Heart Festival online, Live Art Club [London] - amongst many others.

Ernesto has also performed in Manchester, Brighton, Nottingham, Glasgow, San Francisco (Smack Dab, Perverts Put Out), New York (Bowery Poetry Club, LouderARTS), Montreal, Paris, Athens, Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao,...

FILM

Ernesto has recently completed 'Queer Tongues', a documentary about LGBTQ+ spoken word, which was premiered at Film Pride 2021 (Brighton & Hove Pride’s official LGBTQ+ film festival). An early spin-off short, 'Naked Tongues', won an Audience Choice Award at Leeds Queer Film Festival in 2019.

Ernesto's shorts and video poems have been variously shown at events like: International Poetry Festival (Athens), Microacts, QueerBee, Les Mains Gauches, Duende Sessions (Barcelona), Scream Queer (Rome), Queers in Shorts in Cambridge, Shortwave, Franko B's Mix-up, Your Voice (Kilburn Festival), Deep Space, Exploding Cinema, Kino London, ACTART6, Short SundayS, KAOS London.

OTHER

Ernesto has collaborated with a variety of artists and participated in installations/performances/arts projects by e.g. David Medalla, Adam Nankervis, David Hoyle, Franco B, Robert Hespe, Julie Cook, Laura Dodsworth, Gina Czarnecki, Spencer Tunick, Abajo Izquierdo, A2.

Ernesto’s sonnet “The Fall” features as a song in Othon Mataragas’ award winning album, IMPERMANENCE (Nov. 2011), sung by Ernesto Tomasini.

Ernesto was shortlisted for Shortfuse Poetry Idol in April 2004 and was the Central London Farrago Poetry Slam Champion 2006, as well as the winner of the Farrago Zoo Award for "Best Performance by a performer working in English and another language" in 2007. In 2010, he won the Sexual Freedom Award for Best Poet. He has been a runner-up at various boylesque/burlesque competitions and has won the odd the odd comedy competition along the way.

Ernesto was "July" in The Naked Muse Calendar 2012, a "naked male poets" calendar produced by Wild Women Press to raise money for JDRF, a charity that supports research on type 1 diabetes.