Arts After Hours: Arts Member-Exclusive Events AIM After Hours: The Poet's Corner

Join us for the latest AIM After Hours, an ongoing arts member-exclusive series that creates space for artistic expression, thoughtful conversation, and creative risk-taking. This evening centers poetry as a living, communal practice—one that invites participants to listen, reflect, and step into their own voices.

Featured guest Sharrif Simmons is a spoken word poet, musician, author, and arts educator with deep roots in the Birmingham arts community. In 2006, Sharrif began working with the Alys Stephens Center, bringing his signature program, The Poet’s Corner, into classrooms throughout the Greater Birmingham area for nearly a decade. Through this work, he motivated and inspired students to embrace poetry writing and sharing as a creative tool for self expression while integrating poetry into classroom curriculum.

Today, Sharrif continues to return to Birmingham twice a year, igniting imaginations in classrooms through ArtPlay and offering poetry for health and wellness in diverse community settings through UAB Arts in Medicine. During this event, he will reflect on that work, share insights from his artistic journey, and read selections from his published writing.

Afterward, participants will have the opportunity to experience The Poet’s Corner themselves. In a supportive, intimate setting, guests are invited to write, share, or simply listen as poetry becomes a space for connection and dialogue. There is no expectation of polish or performance—only openness, presence, and respect for the creative process.

Together, the group will explore:

• Poetry as a form of self-expression and reflection
• The courage and vulnerability involved in sharing creative work
• Spoken word as a bridge between personal voice and community
• The role of poetry in education, health, and collective well-being

Writers and non-writers alike are welcome. Whether you come to share your own words or to witness those of others, The Poet’s Corner offers a space to engage in poetry as an artistic, human, and communal experience.

Become an Arts Member today to unlock your invitation to AIM After Hours — and enjoy exclusive perks all year long, including:

• Access to members-only events
• Pre-show receptions with complimentary beverages and hors d’oeuvres at select ASC performances
• Special ticket discounts, priority access, and more!
• Complete List of Arts Membership Perks