The quiet rise of spoken word in a world that won’t shut up

It’s no coincidence that spoken word is experiencing a quiet surge. In an age when silence feels unsafe and noise is often meaningless, the rawness of poetry performed aloud has become oddly grounding. It’s expression in its most stripped-back form: no Auto-Tune, no filters, just someone standing in front of you, daring to be honest. And right now, that kind of honesty feels like the only currency worth anything.

Yossi has been part of that shift for years. A London-born actor, educator and spoken word artist, he’s spent almost a decade threading language through rhythm, pulling complex thoughts into sharp, memorable lines. But it’s not just the writing that draws people in. It’s the way he brings voice, presence and vulnerability into spaces where people are usually trained to perform something other than themselves.

What makes Yossi stand out isn’t polish. It’s intention. Whether on the mic or in a classroom, he’s not just sharing lines—he’s opening doors. Through Write2Speak, the community organisation he co-founded, Yossi has helped thousands of young people and adults across the UK reconnect with their own stories. For many, it’s the first time they’ve been encouraged to speak from the gut without fear of being corrected.

Spoken word has always belonged to the margins—radical, reflective and resistant to neat packaging. But Yossi treats it less like a performance art and more like a return to something ancient. A reminder that language was once oral, communal and necessary. You don’t need permission to speak, just the courage to begin.

His performances borrow from theatre, poetry, hip-hop and protest, but they resist being boxed in. It’s not about the genre. It’s about the moment. About making people feel seen. That instinct is just as present in his new EP, "Lost Souls", where he experiments with soundscapes that amplify, not overpower, his voice. It’s a darker, more cinematic turn, but the core remains the same: finding clarity inside chaos.

Yossi isn’t trying to go viral. He’s trying to be useful. In a world that monetises attention and packages expression, his work feels like a counter-spell. Not loud. Not perfect. But unmistakably real.

Because in the end, spoken word isn’t about being understood. It’s about being witnessed.

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