It’s Queenstown’s biggest outlet for original music and spoken word contributions — and it’s holding a special night this Saturday to celebrate its 10th anniversary.

The Sherwood Songwriters Society meets on the last Thursday of every month at Sherwood Queenstown’s The Workshop — this month, though, it’s meeting twice.

The free monthly open-mic nights, from 8 till 10pm, are hosted by local folktronica duo, Choice’s Claire Forrester and Paul Marcham.

Forrester says they host between 10 and 15 acts a night — each 10 minutes max — with at least a few poets each session, though they’ve also had storytellers, comedians and even a magician.

“The audience is always friendly and a real listening crowd, so the performers feel heard — I think that really encourages them to come back.

“You never know what you’re getting but the standard always seems to be high —  world-class poets, songwriters and instrumentalists amongst people just starting out.”

Forrester says the variety of styles is immense and the level of talent is phenomenal.

“It’s a great place to air new creations and performance style and also to meet other artists — quite a few collaborations have formed from the night.”

Audience members, she notes, range from high school students to long-standing locals — the capacity’s 90.

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  • Saturday’s special 10th anniversary celebration runs from 7 till 10pm at Sherwood’s The Workshop; arrive early for nibbles and cake.