An Intimate Evening of Poetry will be happening on September 12, at Lot 19!
Whether you want to join a community poetry writing workshop, register for an open mic spot, or just listen to the local poets who will be on stage, we will be waiting for you at Lot 19, located at 855 W Hastings.
Our first activity of the day, the Community Poetry Writing Workshop, run by Christine Bissonnette, will take place between 5:15-6:30 pm, and it’s free for anyone who wants to take part in! The focus of the workshop is to reflect on your relationship to being witnessed when expressing your voice or gifts, and then to write a poem that captures your experience.
This poetry writing exploration will:
- Encourage meaningful dialogue with members of your community.
- Offer you a spacious container of time to write creatively and reflect on your experience.
- Invite you to take your ideas and creativity seriously – acknowledging them and treating them with the respect they’ve been asking for.
- Include space to share your writing, hear the work of others, and get to know members of your community through their creativity, which can be quite special (participation in the sharing segment is not mandatory).
You can think of the poetry you write during this workshop as a time capsule — capturing your experience now, to be returned to later whenever it’s needed. No prior experience with writing poetry is necessary to participate, all are welcome! Pens and paper will be provided, but if you have a notebook and pen you love to write with please feel free to bring them.
Registration for the open mic, which will be happening later at night the same day, will be open from 7:10-7:30 pm. These open mic spots are open to anyone, but if you wrote a poem during the earlier workshop, you are enthusiastically encouraged to now practice being witnessed by your community, and step onto the stage to share your poem. You will be supported wholeheartedly! Or come back and join us at the same place to listen to local poets on stage, who will be sharing their poetry on this same theme.
Also, feel free to join us between 6:30-and 7:30 pm as we turn Lot 19 into a stage, to enjoy some food and various activities around the lot, including a fun poetry-inspired activation with New Westminster’s fifth and youngest Poet Laureate, Elliott Slinn.
Last but not least for our main event of the night, join us from 7:30-8:30 pm for an intimate evening of poetry featuring six local poets on stage, who will be sharing poetry on a very special theme: their relationship to being witnessed in the expression of their strengths and gifts.
We believe poetry can help connect us and hope you will leave this event with a rejuvenating sense of belonging!
