In 2014, Regen invited poet Matt Harvey to become its first “poet in residence” through the ERDF-funded Centre for Business and Climate Solutions at the University of Exeter. The collaboration produced The Element in the Room — a collection of poems inspired by renewable energy, illustrated by local artists, and published by The Quixotic Press.
Matt approached the residency with characteristic humour and warmth:
“I wasn’t asked to write promotional material… if some of the content suggests otherwise, that simply reflects my own bias and taste. I was always likely to be enthusiastic.”
The poems ranged from the playful (The Shock of the New, describing a solar farm as “a warehouse of flat-pack goth garden furniture”) to the reflective (An Unchanging View, exploring resistance to change). Some were even crowd-sourced at public events, weaving community voices directly into the work.
Matt’s words quickly moved beyond the page. His first performance for Regen was at the Green Energy Awards, where he read The Shock of the New to an audience of industry leaders. The blend of wit and lyrical insight landed perfectly:
“It gave me such pleasure to write lines like that… people were pleased to hear material about their world.”
The success of that debut led to Matt becoming a regular performer at Regen events and even the MC of the Green Energy Awards. His presence brought warmth, humanity, and humour to occasions often dominated by technical detail, helping to create a celebratory atmosphere that honoured the people behind the projects.
He also performed poems at festivals and conferences, where reactions ranged from delight to challenge. At Dartington’s Ways With Words festival, one audience member even walked out — a reminder that art can spark strong, honest responses.
“Energy is a huge subject… but poetry can make it less overwhelming by mixing accurate language with imaginative response.”
The Element in the Room showed that art can be more than an add-on to climate communication — it can be a catalyst for connection. By blending humour, lyricism, and celebration, Matt’s poetry helped make energy a subject people could relate to, enjoy, and even sing about.
“Poetry gave people another way in — through fun, reflection, and imagination. That felt valuable.”
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