A student of Literature and Creative Writing at Salford University was singled out by Director Danny Boyle at the 200th anniversary of the Peterloo Massacre after he read his own poem
22-year-old Jardel Rodrigues from Stretford, had just finished performing when he got a tap on the shoulder from the director’s sister. She said: “Danny enjoyed
your piece and would like a chat
So Jardel chatted.
“He asked if I had written a book of poems so I said ‘No, but I am working on one’”
“He also told me he had enjoyed my performance. He was down-to-earth and easy to talk to,” said Jardel.
“Despite the rain¸ there was a powerful atmosphere in the crowd – full of Mancunian sentiment.
Jardel’s poem has three stanzas and he worked on it for three months.
“I first found out about the Peterloo massacre through conversation when I was 15. In those days I lived in Hulme and, at Trinity High School, they never mentioned it.”
“The militia were supposed to be protecting the people and they were the ones who killed them.”
Jardel is a member of Young Identity with whom he regularly performs.
He has also read poetry at the British Literature Festival in Germany.
He has almost completed his book of poems which are on the themes of working class life, drug addiction and homelessness.
His university lecturers came to see him appear in Alpha Bus, part of Manchester International Festival.
Jardel helped with the script and performed spoken words with dancers from New York.
The last lines of his Peterloo poem read: “Your blood painted these streets anew. So we will be with you. We will be with you in Peterloo.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here