About Poet Treehouse host, DUKE AL
DUKE AL is an award-winning spoken word artist, published poet, hip hop artist and creative practitioner. Writing rhymes is his therapy. From a young age, he would scribble raps and poems in his old lyric book. It was his way of expressing himself; an escapism to challenge his OCD. A passion of words, flow and rhyme flared. After being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 23, the pen became even more vital, helping him process and articulate his emotions.
Now, he uses his craft to create impactful change, one rhyme at a time. His poetry collection, IMAGINE WE TRADE BODIES WITH SHEEP, was released on 20 March. His work has been featured in Go.Compare Six Nations 2025, FAW, Cardiff Rugby, Creative Cardiff, TNT Sports (Sport in Words for Black History Month on Sir Lewis Hamilton), BBC Wales, FujiFilm UK, Cardiff Metropolitan University, and BBC Scrum V for The Six Nations 2022.
Follow him on Instagram and X: @dukealdurham
About Poet Treehouse
Poet Treehouse is a space that supports and empowers artists, providing an open, welcoming platform for poets, writers and creatives to share their work.
Each event will feature a headline artist, followed by an open mic, bringing together a community of poets, artists, musicians, writers, and storytellers, to perform, contribute or just to sit back and enjoy the local talent.
Poet Treehouse aims to host four events a year at The Old Bank Coffee Shop in Dinas Powys. However, this year, they are expanding their reach by collaborating with OCD Gamechangers to host an international online open mic focused on mental health storytelling. Later in the year, Poet Treehouse will also hold live events in Cardiff, Berlin, Scotland, and Ireland, continuing their mission to provide a platform for diverse voices.
Poet Treehouse host and organiser, DUKE AL, said:
“This open mic welcomes all forms of storytelling. If you're a poet, come and read us a poem. If you're a singer-songwriter, come and sing us a song. If you're a comic, come and tell us some jokes. If you're writing a novel, come and read us a chapter. Whatever your medium, your story matters, and we want to hear it.
I grew up in Dinas Powys in a housing association. Although the area was affluent, my family didn’t have much money. When I first started writing poetry, there was no local space to share my work or connect with other writers.
Now, I feel it’s important to build a creative community in the place I grew up, giving emerging poets and storytellers a space to share their work, grow in confidence, and connect with like-minded people.
DUKE AL is passionate about connecting a diverse range of voices in his local community, saying:
One of my favourite things about Poet Treehouse is the diversity of voices, not just in writing styles, but in life experiences. Bringing different perspectives together creates something powerful: a supportive, inspiring, and creative environment. Through headline acts and open mic performances, we introduce artists to new audiences while allowing audiences to experience a range of voices, styles, and stories.
Looking ahead, we want to mentor young people, particularly those from low-income backgrounds, who are interested in writing and performing.
We also hope to expand Poet Treehouse into different areas of Wales, reaching communities that may not have access to creative spaces. Additionally, we aim to grow our brand by offering sustainable merchandise that aligns with our values.
Creative Cardiff Manager, Carys Bradley-Roberts, said:
The community that DUKE AL has built in Dinas Powys through Poet Treehouse is welcoming, open and collaborative, with opportunities to listen to new work, share your own work, network and socialise in a friendly and creative environment. We can't wait to see this space evolve and grow as Duke Al plans to work in other communities and with a range of partners.
Following our Creative Industries Cluster Hubs project in 2023 - 2024, we want to continue recognising and promoting the brilliant creative activity happening outside the city, across the wider region. Duke Al’s Poet Treehouse event is a perfect example of this, and we’re delighted to be partnering with him to continue delivering and developing this series in 2025.
