Interview: Angela Yausheva on Stage, Song and Loud Poets

When Angela Yausheva steps on stage, the act of speaking becomes an act of ownership. “Stage is my safe space where I can be unapologetically myself,” she says. “I get to show the most intimate, sometimes shameful sides of me and proudly say, ‘This is who I am, and I own it.’”

The spoken-word poet and performer will bring that energy to the Scottish Storytelling Centre on 13 October, appearing as a featured poet in an evening of live performance. Known across the UK and Europe for confessional, emotionally charged work, Yausheva writes from the intersection of displacement, resilience and identity, and delivers it with the intensity of someone who treats each poem like a live wire.

Between Page and Performance

Now based between Scotland and Serbia, Yausheva has become a familiar voice in the Scottish spoken-word scene through the City of Poets network in Glasgow, I Am Loud in Edinburgh and the Federation of Writers (Scotland). Her recent poems, Green Light and Might Makes Right in The Poetry Lighthouse, move between personal lyric and political urgency. Earlier this year she featured in the Scottish Poetry Library’s 40 Poets/40 Years series and performed No Control at V-Day: Raise the Vibration in London.

She describes her writing as “definitely confessional,” drawn from personal experience and shaped by intention. “My poems are always either prayers or manifestations,” she says. “Lately I’ve been experimenting with music, and I found jazz poetry to be an exciting art form. Who knows, maybe there’s an album on the way?”

There is humour in the way she reflects on her own work. “Some time ago I asked ChatGPT to characterise my poetry, and it replied, ‘Your poetry is also your revenge. A silent, elegant way of saying, “Look what you did to me. Look what I turned into.”’ I wouldn’t disagree.”

The Stage as Dialogue

Performance, for Yausheva, is inseparable from the writing itself. “When I perform my poetry, which is a visceral and emotional experience, I always aim to connect with the audience on a deep, personal level,” she says. “There is no spoken word without an audience; each performance is a duet, a collaboration.”

That spirit of dialogue shapes her Edinburgh set. “I have two slots at the end of each round,” she explains. “I wanted to showcase two sides of my practice: in the first half I’ll recite several shorter poems, mixing old work with new, and in the second I’ll perform a longer piece with musical accompaniment—an ethereal jazz composition by Serbian composer Uroš Spasojević. It is more of a theatrical performance. So I’m bringing a mix of stand-up, theatre and jazz.”

At a Glance

Event: Angela Yausheva – Featured Poet
Venue: Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh
Date: 13 October 2025
Tickets: scottishstorytellingcentre.com

Finding a Voice

Yausheva began writing poetry in English about a decade ago, drawn to the language’s sound and rhythm. “Somehow I could express my innermost feelings more accurately in English,” she says. “And then I wrote something that felt slightly different and didn’t quite fit in, and that’s how I discovered spoken word.”

Her first performance, at an open mic in Tallinn in 2018, proved decisive. “It completely changed me. That’s when I knew I belong in this world, and I’m here to stay.”

Community and Connection

Though often working from Belgrade, Yausheva remains closely tied to Scotland’s spoken-word community. She credits the Loud Poets network with providing that continuity. “Loud Poets are my safety net, my support group, my home from home,” she says. “Having regular feedback sessions and workshops with them allowed me to be part of a kind and welcoming community where I get to befriend some of the finest poets in the country, learn from them and grow.”

For her, spoken word depends on trust. “Poetry, and spoken word in particular, are all about radical honesty and vulnerability,” she says. “True art cannot thrive in a hostile environment, and Loud Poets provide a safe space for poets from all around the world to express themselves and connect.”

Confession as Creation

That openness seems to define Yausheva’s work, and her Edinburgh performance is likely to feel both personal and communal. Whether she is performing a tightly coiled lyric or an extended jazz-inflected piece, this is a poet who treats their work as both confession and invitation.

“Each performance is a duet,” she says. “It is all about connection.”

Featured Image: Angela Yausheva

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Angela Yausheva appears as a featured poet at Loud Poets Open Mic on 13 October 2025 at the Scottish Storytelling Centre. For tickets and more information, visit the official event page.

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