A poetry experience for everyone to enjoy
April is Poetry Month and we're celebrating. Experience a star-studded lineup of seasoned poetry pros, spoken word champions, expressions of youth and so much more. Try some poetry karaoke, write your own poems, explore metaphors and similes and imagery in all its facets, explore the intersection of poetry and visual art through ekphrastic poetry and our feature Photo Synthesis event.
PEOPLE'S POETRY FESTIVAL POET LAUREATE
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Wakefield Brewster is a poet, spoken word artist, educator, Rap/Hip-Hop artist, musician, martial artist, WakeFull Wellness - RMT, Speaker and Founder of Page2StageProductions. He is born and raised in Toronto, by parents hailing from Barbados. He has lived in Calgary since 2006. Wakefield has spoken across Canada and the US. Wakefield is also curator, host, and performer of The New Beat at The Indie YYC. He is the current Calgary Poet Laureate.
Wakefield's main featured performance will be Friday evening, and he will appear once each day of the festival. |
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FULL FESTIVAL PASS ($50)
FRIDAY ONLY ($10) SATURDAY ONLY ($30) SUNDAY ONLY ($20) IMPORTANT: Please note online registrations will be unavailable after 4pm MT. You can purchase your passes in person at the venue throughout the event. |
FESTIVAL schedule of events 2023
Friday, March 317-10PM People's Poetry All Styles Kick-Off and Open Mic (Treehouse) Featuring PPF Laureate, Wakefield Brewster with additional featured poets Okechukwu Nnamchi, Adrienne Adams and Pam Medland and Cobra Collins. We invite diverse poets of all ages working in all styles, from emerging poets to professionals, to take their turn during the open mic. A huge thanks to the partners and sponsors for this year's People's Poetry Festival: Alexandra Writers Centre Society Writers Guild of Alberta Poetry in Voice and a gracious anonymous donation. |
Saturday, April 1All Day Photo Synthesis Art Show (4th Floor Wall Gallery) 10am - 11am Poetry Calisthenics with Vivian Hansen (AWCS Helvetica) 11am-5pm Poetry on the Fly: Drop in Poetry Stations & AWCS Used Book Sale (AWCS Salon & Gotham) 11am - 12pm Photo Synthesis (Treehouse) Art and poetry pairings event with readings and talks by the artists. Hosted by Brenda Kelly with poets and artists: Kim Jones, Sharon Christie, Mary Vlooswyk, Sheelagh Matthews, Jackie Harbidge, Patti Nielson, Lorraine McFaddin and Yulit Price. 12-1pm Poetry Lunch Ottawa Poet, Frances Boyle launches a poetry collection, Openwork and Limestone, from Frontenac House. Hosted by Alex Williamson with special guest, Skylar Kay. 1-2pm Fantastic Ekphrastic Poem Write with Josephine LoRe (AWCS Helvetica) 2-3pm First Draft Art Poem Contest with Josephine LoRe (AWCS Salon) 3-5pm Poetry Rocks! Youth Showcase (Treehouse) Featured poetry and inspiring words by Wakefield Brewster, Em Williamson and AWCS Rogue Poets, Tyler Perry and Can You Hear Me Now? poets, Stephanie Omorotionmwan, Sponsored by Poetry In Voice (PIV), West Hillhurst Grade 6 poets. 5-6pm Poetry Karaoke (Treehouse) Poetry enthusiasts read poetry. Hosted by Miranda Krogstad 6-7pm Sign up for Slam (Treehouse) 7-10pm People's Poetry Slam (Treehouse) - (sponsored in part by the WGA) Hosted by Ashley J.J. White and featured performances by Babs from Calgary Slam, Zhe the Free, Jessibelle Atlas, Tom Rhyme, and Tanecia Cromwell |
Sunday, April 210am-2pm Small and Micropress Fair & Marketplace (Treehouse) Small presses and micropresses based in and around Calgary with tables of books and ephemera to browse. Micropress Skills Demo at bluemoonbooks table at Micropress Fair 10am-2pm AWCS Used Book Sale (AWCS Salon & Gotham) 11-12pm Emerging Poets Showcase Hosted by John Williamson with opening remarks by Wakefield Brewster and featured guests Jordan Baylon, Kate Tattersall, Eli Smart, Camila, KRaven (AWCS Salon) 12:30-2:30pm Poetry Cafe Presents (AWCS Salon) GUEST #25 Journal Launch hosted by Laurie Anne Fuhr and featuring: Sue Hunter, Telmo dos Santos, Kim Jones, Kerrie Penney, Emily Cargan, Linda Hatfield, June Read, Sharon Christie. 3pm-6pm Woolf's Voices Pop-Up at PPF (Treehouse) An event celebrating the poetry of women, female-identifying, queer, and trans poets. Hosted by Adrienne Adams and Featuring A.N., Moni Brar, Josie Veness, Serena Bhandar and Erin Dingle |
Festival Guests
A.N. | Adrienne Adams | Jessibelle Atlas | AWCS Rogue Poets | Babs | Serena Bhandar | Jordan Baylon | Frances Boyle | Moni Brar | Camila | Can You Hear Me Now? Poets | Emily Cargan | Sharon Christie | Cobra Collins | Tanecia Cromwell | Erin Dingle | Telmo dos Santos | Laurie Anne Fuhr | Vivian Hansen | Jackie Harbidge | Linda Hatfield | Sue Hunter | Kim Jones | Skylar Kay | Brenda Kelly | KRaven | Miranda Krogstad | Josephine LoRe | Sheelagh Matthews | Lorraine McFaddin | Pamela Medland | Patti Nielson | Ado Nkemka | Okechukwu Nnamchi | Stephanie Omorotionmwan | Kerrie Penney | Tyler Perry | Photo Synthesis Collective | Yulit Price | June Read | Tom Rhyme | Eli Smart | Kate Tattersall | Josie Veness | Mary Vlooswyk | West Hillhurst Grade 6 Poets | Ashley J.J. White | Alex Williamson | Em Williamson | John Williamson | Zhe the Free
About the festival
The People's Poetry Festival started as a three-day event held in the Kensington area of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 2011 with support from fillingStation Magazine, Calgary Arts Development, the Calgary Foundation, Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Canada Council for the Arts, A Place Called WordsWorth, the Mustard Seed and the Calgary Drop-in and Rehab Centre, the festival seeks to break down barriers to poetry as an art form and method of expression, making it accessible to all members of the public. In 2017, The People's Poetry Festival moved to Calgary's East Village with a one-day long festival comprising of poetry walks, workshops, performances and readings featuring page poetry, spoken word, music and artwork, DIY poetry stations, open mics and poetry education.
In 2023, the People's Poetry Festival is taking over cSpace Marda Loop in partnership with the Alexandra Writers Centre Society to bring you a 3-day festival full of events for poetry enthusiasts alike.
For more information, including how you might get involved as poet, musician, artist or volunteer, email: thepeoplespoetryfest@gmail.com
In 2023, the People's Poetry Festival is taking over cSpace Marda Loop in partnership with the Alexandra Writers Centre Society to bring you a 3-day festival full of events for poetry enthusiasts alike.
For more information, including how you might get involved as poet, musician, artist or volunteer, email: thepeoplespoetryfest@gmail.com
SPECIAL THANKS TO THIS YEAR's festival sponsors
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