Speak—Poetry in Performance

with Tharani Balachandran, Shauntelle Dick Charleson, Jeremy Loveday, Alessandra Naccarato, Sheri-D Wilson, and Brandon Wint

Long before there were printing presses, there were poets. Modern spoken word is a euphonic continuation of ancient oral traditions that deeply consider the aesthetics of performance as a vessel to carry what we deem most important. From hybrid bodies and the interdependence of species to the mapping of diasporic landscapes; from a crown of sonnets to genre-bending speculative sci-fi verse; from reckoning with the ongoing harm of colonization to celebrating Indigenous resilience—this evening features diverse performances by exceptional spoken word artists from across Canada.

At its heart, poetry is the intimacy of one human witnessing another. Come to witness small joys and expansive aches cradled by a voice, and stay for the tender reckoning—for the transformative power of performance poetry, live and out loud.

Curated and hosted by Marie Metaphor Specht

Wednesday, October 15, 7:30 p.m.

Langham Court Theatre / 805 Langham Crt.

Sliding scale tickets: $5, $10, $20

Contact VFA by September 30 for ASL interpretation