It’s here! Below is a web version of page 1 of our #VSFestival18 program. Click on it so that you can move around in it. Navigation ease may vary according to your device. Print versions of this program will be available as soon as Monday, April 16 at Van Poetry Slam at Cafe Deux Soleils, and other locations following.
Find out more »It’s here! Below is a web version of page 2 of our #VSFestival18 program. Click on it so that you can move around in it. Navigation ease may vary according to your device. Print versions of this program will be available as soon as Monday, April 16 at Van Poetry Slam at Cafe Deux Soleils, and other locations following.
Find out more »“Do you want to hear the best story you’ve ever heard in your life?” Andrea Gibson asks into the microphone. The audience leans forward in silent anticipation. “So I met this woman and I went home to her house with her.” They pause, “already a great story.” The audience erupts with laughter, a happy juxtaposition after being so quietly captivated. Smirking into the spotlight, Andrea continues, “…So we’re about to kiss for the very first time. And right before our…
Find out more »You can purchase your Verses Festival pass for $75 here. Pass-holders must arrive at events early. All events are general admission. A portion of event capacity has been held specifically for passholders. 15 minutes before show time, spots unclaimed by passholders are released to be sold at the door. This means that if a show says “Sold Out” online, as a pass-holder, you can get in as long as you are there more than 30 minutes before the show starts. The audience…
Find out more »The Spoken Word Jamboree kicks off not only Hullabaloo, but also Verses Festival of Words! All teams will be invited to perform a one-minute intro poem to tell us more about themselves and their school, and Molly Billows will rock the house as the night’s feature. Alice MacKay Room (downstairs from the main concourse). Doors at 6:00 PM. Show starts at 6:30 PM. The Jamboree provides all participating poets a chance to meet each other outside of a competition setting. It’s…
Find out more »“Awesome day! My students were so pumped and spoke about it for days afterwards.” – Lorisse Humphries, Chilliwack Middle School The always popular Hullabaloo All Star Slam at the Rio Theatre returns this year, featuring a battle between Canadian spoken word all stars! The 2018 edition of the All Star Slam sees Vancouver’s Molly Billows, Calgary’s Erin Dingle, and Saskatoon’s Zoey Pricelys Roy compete in a three-round poetry slam hosted by the inimitable Johnny Trinh – with students judging! Once the dust has settled, and the winner has…
Find out more »“Awesome day! My students were so pumped and spoke about it for days afterwards.” – Lorisse Humphries, Chilliwack Middle School The always popular Hullabaloo All Star Slam at the Rio Theatre returns this year, featuring a battle between Canadian spoken word all stars! The 2018 edition of the All Star Slam sees Vancouver’s Molly Billows, Calgary’s Erin Dingle, and Saskatoon’s Zoey Pricelys Roy compete in a three-round poetry slam – with students judging! Once the dust has settled, and the winner has been declared, there’s time for a Q&A…
Find out more »The preliminary rounds erupt, with all 16 teams competing in four heats of four! Location: Alma VanDusen & Peter Kaye rooms (downstairs from the main concourse). Doors: 6:00 PM Start: Bouts 1 & 2 6:30 PM Bouts 3 & 4 8:30 PM End: 10:00 PM Every team in Hullabaloo will perform in one bout this evening, either the first or second slate of prelims. All teams and audience members are encouraged to attend the entire evening. The poems will be judged by…
Find out more »The land of poetry spreads far and wide: you could spend days traveling from Metaphor to Extended Metaphor. And that’s before you even reach Rhyme and Alliteration! Poets have spent years investigating the nooks and crannies of these regions and beyond. Have you been to the magical land of improvisation? Or explored the dark arts of banter? Have you crafted spellbinding chapbooks? Or trained in the martial discipline of mic technique? There’s a lot to discover and if you’re a young, aspiring poet,…
Find out more »The second slate of prelims kicks off, with all 16 teams competing for the second time in less than 24 hours! Following Round 1 of preliminary competitions on Friday night, some teams are still in it to win it and some teams are going out with a bang, so Round 2 is bound to be mind-blowing! Location: Alma VanDusen & Peter Kaye rooms (downstairs from the main concourse). Doors: 1:00 PM Start Bouts 5 & 6: 1:30 PM Bouts 7 & 8: 3:30 PM…
Find out more »The 8th annual HULLABALOO FINALS NIGHT will determine which school has the best poetic chops in all of British Columbia. Moe Clark will start the evening with a feature set of her award-winning spoken word poetry. Then the top four teams from the preliminary bouts will face off against each other with the 2018 Hullabaloo team championship (and the Billy Sharkspeare Trophy) at stake! Alice MacKay Room. Doors: 7:00 PM Start: 8:00 PM End: 10:30 PM About the feature: Métis multidisciplinary artist Moe…
Find out more »A literary afternoon delight! Music and words from many of the artists performing throughout the festival, including a selection of Hullabaloo performers featured from our youth events. Bear witness to festival highlights as we celebrate their creative minds in one shared space, where participating artists and organizers, established and up-and-coming, meet, mingle and make merry. This is an All Ages Event. Featured performers (in no particular order) include: Moe Clark Ronnie Dean Harris Jillian Christmas Fernando Raguero Pamela Bentley Johnny…
Find out more »Call resistance an act of love, name activism as belief in restoration, trust as resilience, music as medicine; there is alchemy in the work of Buffy Sainte-Marie. Utilizing a generous body of work spanning half a century, Buffy Sainte-Marie reminds us that the truest wealth we can accumulate is in community, story, connection and truth. Through word and song she moves us to look our own reflections in the eye and raise our voices to meet this mission. Bending her…
Find out more »“Spoken word performance and looping pedal workshop exploring body and voice as landscape. Add new dimension to your spoken word poetry and written works. Combine your poetry with sounds, songs, and performance tools to create works that are stage-worthy and audience approved. Moe Clark will take you on a journey through her process of transforming a simple page poem into a full-spectrum spoken word performance poem with layers, loops, and creative vocal dimensions. Everyone is invited to bring a poem…
Find out more »Thursdays Writing Collective has been writing together at the Carnegie Centre at Main and Hastings for 10 years. Over that last decade, TWC members have met to share the acts and products of writing, improve their writing skills and make connections within Vancouver’s literary community. “TWC includes writers identifying as Indigenous, People of Colour, mixed race and white, trans and queer folks, survivors, and many other intersectional identities from different backgrounds. Our youngest writer is 18, our oldest is 87. “Collectively,…
Find out more »Celebrate the 22nd annual Van Slam Finals Night with visiting feature Christopher Michael. Vancouver’s top nine slam poets of the season compete for a spot on this years team to represent Van Slam at major tournaments and festivals across North America. Poets gain points by ranking in the top four at Van Slam throughout the year to qualify for this playoff event. This is an All Ages show. General seating. Doors at 7; Slam at 8. Box office and Will…
Find out more »Utilizing a unique creative writing process developed by the writer, hip hop artist, activist, and performer, JB leads workshop participants through activity and writing, exploring themes of remembering and belonging. Working together over an hour and a half long session, participants will create a community poem and in creating a poem together, hopefully, tap into the rich community surrounding them. Doors 10 a.m. / Workshop 10:30-12:00 / Wise Hall / $20 Advance / $25 At Door / Financial access options…
Find out more »“Lame, crippling, retard/ed, gimp, moron, spaz, handicap/ped, handicapable, differently abled, diffability, special needs, deaf/blind to, hearing impaired, invalid, wheelchair bound – From slurs to euphemisms to the way we describe our experiences, ableist language is in the very roots of our speech. Language translates to beliefs, beliefs translate to actions, and there is little left untouched by the insidious affects of ableism. Awareness is the first step in creating change. In this workshop, learn to recognize ableism in your…
Find out more »Triple book launch with Joelle Barron, Ellie Sawatzky, Alessandra Naccarato & special guests. Join us for the launch of three new poetry collections that blur the line between the magic and the mundane: Highly Sensitive Femme by Alessandra Naccarato (Frog Hollow Press), Rhinocerotic by Ellie Sawatzky (Frog Hollow Press), and Ritual Lights by Joelle Barron (Ice House Press). Come for the poetry and stay for the tarot readings; rumour has it Baba Yaga will be in attendance. 6 pm Doors / 6:30…
Find out more »Rich with voices of the past, present, and future, a powerhouse lineup of literary and lyrical titans guide us on a journey through poetic language, experience, story, and song including songwriter and composer Edzi’u, storyteller, poet, and academic Joshua Whitehead, and innovative multimedia artist Janet Rogers. Doors 8:15 pm / Showcase 8:30 – 10 pm / $15 Advance / $20 At Door General Seating with some standing room at back of Hall. Tickets may be purchased ahead of time on Brown…
Find out more »CIPS Orientation will take place on Wednesday, April 25th, from 12:00 PM to 2:30 PM at Wise Hall. (Bouts will run on Thursday, April 26th and Friday, April 27th at Cafe Deux Soleils and Havana Theatre.) THIS EVENT IS FOR MEMBERS OF THE TOURNAMENT COMMITTEE AND COMPETING CIPS POETS ONLY ATTENDANCE AT ORIENTATION IS MANDATORY! If you do not attend orientation you will receive a 2-point deduction on your score in the 1-minute round. Exceptions will only be made in…
Find out more »What better place to proclaim your love for whatever turns on your nerdy nature than at the Storm Crow Tavern, the geekiest gathering place in Vancouver? Costumes are welcomed in the audience or for performers. Go on, dress up, and step up to the mic. You will be in raucous good company! Hosted by the inimitable Erin Dingle. Featuring a set by self-described nerd Kitty Stryker. 2:30 Doors / 3:00 Show / By Donation https://www.stormcrowtavern.com/ The Storm Crow remains…
Find out more »A special invitational edition of the Vancouver Story Slam storytelling show just for Verses Festival of Words! Ten storytellers share original short stories in a competition for cash and prizes. 50 audience members will receive voting ballots to select the night’s winning storytellers. Vancouver Story Slam is Canada’s longest-running live monthly storytelling competition. New participants are always welcome; profits from the monthly show go to the VSS annual writing scholarship. Produced by Susan Cormier and hosted by Bryant Ross. This…
Find out more »Mashed Poetics is a night of Spoken Word and Music mash up. Mashed Poetics has been a part of the Verses Festival of Words since its inception and is happy to be a part of the 2018 edition. This year, Mashed Poetics is bringing the blues-rock storm of Couldn’t Stand the Weather by Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble. Eight poets write new work based on the songs from the album performed by “The Cold Shots.” Poets will perform in…
Find out more »Guided by two qualified facilitators, Kitty Stryker and Rabbit Richards, this talk is likely to engage with a number of topics that challenge, advance and re-form our collective ideas of consent culture within the arts. Come prepared with questions, thoughts and a respectful voice. Active listeners will be present for community care. Come prepared with questions, suggestions and a respectful voice. This discussion is a free event. Seating cannot be reserved in advance. Doors Noon / 12:30 – 2:30 pm…
Find out more »Reframing Relations brings Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists together … to facilitate dialogue about reconciliation in Canada. Participants work together on collaborative, arts-based ‘Statements of Understanding’ to discover where their awareness of Indigenous issues is located today, where they have gaps in their knowledge, and what concrete actions can be taken to support meaningful reconciliation. Presented by Community Arts Council of Vancouver facilitators Ronnie Dean Harris and Johnny MacRae. This Workshop is offered in partnership with Community Arts Council of Vancouver. …
Find out more »Canada’s best slam poets sling metaphors and match wits in four-minute and one-minute rounds. These Day One bouts at Havana Theatre are two of eight preliminary competitions that take place on Thursday and Friday nights here and at Cafe Deux Soleils during Verses Festival. The scores from these eight bouts determine the twelve poets who move on to compete in the Canadian Individual Poetry Slam Championship (CIPS) final match on Saturday night. All poetry performances on the stage are judged by volunteer…
Find out more »Canada’s best slam poets sling metaphors and match wits in four-minute and one-minute rounds. These Day One bouts at Cafe Deux Soleils are two of eight preliminary competitions that take place on Thursday and Friday nights here and at Havana Theatre during Verses Festival. The scores from these eight bouts determine the twelve poets who move on to compete in the Canadian Individual Poetry Slam Championship (CIPS) final match on Saturday night. All poetry performances on the stage are judged by…
Find out more »Live at the WISE and Verses Festival of Words is proud to present The Fugitives album release Show for “The Promise of Strangers” . PLUS Introducing the Verses Festival of Words “Little Death Match” (a 17 syllable slam) During intermission we dip our toes into a tantalizing tiny pool of words, revisiting the 17 syllable slam format with four skilled champions of the sharpened tongue and keenly wielded wit: past Haiku Death Match champions Erin Kirsh, Fernando Raguero, RC Weslowski,…
Find out more »Please note the update to this event that it is now by donation or pay what you can. Kitty Stryker, consultant to Juggalos and Sex Educators alike, presents a talk on how to have thoughtful conversations about sexual assault when it impacts someone you love, mixed with Q&A for attendees to ask questions about their own experiences and allyship. This event will focus on fostering a supportive environment for survivors and a learning environment for their allies, as well as…
Find out more »Canada’s best performance poets show us their strongest two and three minute poems to decide who will advance to finals. These Day Two bouts at Havana Theatre are two of eight preliminary competitions that take place on Thursday and Friday nights here and at Cafe Deux Soleils during Verses Festival. The scores from these eight bouts determine the twelve poets who move on to compete in the Canadian Individual Poetry Slam Championship (CIPS) final match on Saturday night. All poetry performances…
Find out more »Canada’s best performance poets show us their strongest two and three minute poems to decide who will advance to finals. These Day Two bouts at Cafe Deux Soleils are two of eight preliminary competitions that take place on Thursday and Friday nights here and at Havana Theatre during Verses Festival. The scores from these eight bouts determine the twelve poets who move on to compete in the Canadian Individual Poetry Slam Championship (CIPS) final match on Saturday night. (Bouts 6…
Find out more »In the guts of artists everywhere is a driving force, a question that begs for answer, churning engine of the inquisitive mind. Interrobang?! pays homage to those making their statements known, loud and clear, while asking the complicated, nuanced, and too often unasked-questions. Join us as this all star line-up of curious creators, including Billy-Ray Belcourt, Virago Nation, and Snotty Nose Rez Kids, fill the room with wonder and imagination – all the while offering us a bounty of new…
Find out more »This community-driven, facilitator-mediated conversation asks artists to participate in anti-oppression dialogue around the topic of “Harm Reduction” within the Spoken Word Community and the many intersecting communities in which we engage. Active listeners will be present for community care. Come prepared with questions, suggestions and a respectful voice. This discussion is a free event. Seating cannot be reserved in advance. Doors Noon / 12:30 – 2:30 pm / Havana Theatre / Free This event is a scent-reduced space. To assist…
Find out more »A whirlwind of words from Chimwemwe Undi, Deirdre Lee, Andre Prefontaine, Doug Koyama, and Philip Kevin Paul who will perform feats of acrobatic wordsmithery before your very eyes. Doors 2:30 / Show 3 – 4:30 / Havana Theatre / $10 Advance / $12 At Door $10 Advance tickets for Word Circus are available here on Brown Paper Tickets. $12 At Door. Cash only. Admission to this event is included in your Verses Festival Pass but get there early to get a…
Find out more »The top 12 poets from preliminaries advance to this final match. Who will claim the title of 2018 Canadian Individual Poetry Slam Champion? This closing match includes a feature presentation by the 2017 Canadian Individual Poetry Slam champion Ifrah Hussein. Poets in the Finals will be performing three-minute poems. The first round will consist of twelve poets. The top seven highest-scoring poets will move on to the second round. Then, the top four highest-scoring poets from the second round move…
Find out more »UPDATE on line-up below! The Talking Stick Festival has been calling community together for over 17 years. With a desire to appeal to Indigenous and non-Indigenous attendees alike, the multi-disciplinary Indigenous arts festival comes to us as a community stage presentation, closing out Verses Festival of Words 2018 with a showcase of artists who have performed on TSF stages throughout the years. Hosted by Molly Billows. Featuring: Hosted by Molly Billows Featuring: Valeen Jules jaye simpson Tawahum Justin Peter Bige Christie…
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