Toronto Poetry Project launches July 11!
Read or join the discussion on this post.
Media Contact: David Silverberg info@torontopoetryslam.com 416-312-3865
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 2, 2009
Public Launch of spoken word collective Toronto Poetry Project
and season opener of Toronto Poetry Slam
July 11, 2009, Drake Hotel Underground
http://poetryproject.to/launch
A new force among Canadian performing arts, the Toronto Poetry Project launches next week with a spoken word showcase.
Having partnered with Luminato and Word on the Street as well as regional festivals, and organized regular standing-room-only shows at the Drake Hotel and Hugh’s Room, the TPP believes Toronto audiences are ready for spoken word to take a place alongside the “big three” of music, film and theatre.
On July 11, the Toronto Poetry Project officially launches as part of the July Toronto Poetry Slam season opener at the Drake Hotel (7:30pm). Media and fans will have a chance to sample the work of TPP founders, enjoying stand-up-inflected monologues, gritty urban storytelling, passionate verse, and more. A public slam follows, plus an extended set from performer Brendan McLeod, agile storyteller and poet in Vancouver’s spoken-word band The Fugitives (who have already garnered comparisons to Montreal’s Arcade Fire).
“Toronto is ready for a poetry resurgence,” says David Silverberg, Artistic Director of Toronto Poetry Slam, TPP’s flagship event of three years which draws 150+ people a month. “Spoken word is alive and well in this city.”
Poetry slams are high-energy, light-hearted spoken word competitions which take poetry off the page and put it on the stage (and streets, patios, and park benches). Performers have three minutes to impress randomly-selected judges, using only their voice, body, and wits.
* * *
July is a busy birthday month for the TPP. July 24 and 25, the collective teams up with Harbourfront and the Canadian Voices Festival to stage a two-night, late-night slam at the Brigantine Room. On July 28, they will host renowned spoken word band Shane Koyczan & the Short Story Long at the Drake. (Shane has been a Books of the Year selection in both the Globe and Mail and the Guardian, opened for the Violent Femmes, and earned glowing reviews from the likes of Gord Downie and Dave Bidini).
TPP members have shared the stage with musicians such as Luke Doucet, Mr. Something Something, Ember Swift, Big Rude Jake and others. They hail from all ends of the GTA. They work as journalists, teachers, artists, construction workers, film technicians. They are: Tomy Bewick, Lara Bozabalian, Yehuda Fisher (aka PAN), Rahul Gupta (aka That Brown Bastard), Amanda Hiebert, Krystle Mullin, Tanya Neumeyer, Jogindra Siewrattan, David Silverberg, Mike Smith (aka White Noise Machine), Matt Toth (aka gypsy eyes), and Truth Is… .
What does the Toronto Poetry Project bring to the arts scene in Toronto every month?
• The monthly Toronto Poetry Slam, a spoken word competition attracting 150+ people per show
• The monthly Bam! Youth Slam, allowing youth from across the city to take the stage and give voice to their lives
• School events and workshops, from downtown Toronto to Brampton to Huntsville
• Partnering with other arts groups such as Luminato, Harbourfront Centre, the Pride Festival and HipHop Karaoke (upcoming)
• Workshops and classes at sites such as the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
• Offering access to an agency of spoken word poets that perform across the province
• Inviting international poets to feature at the Slam and other spoken word events
• Bringing poetry to the streets at free public events such as Pedestrian Sundays
• Showcasing Toronto to the world by bringing marquee events, such as the 10th annual Rustbelt Regional Poetry Slam to the Bloor Cinema
• Coordinating the Toronto Poetry Slam Team to perform at the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word (in November) and the (US) National Poetry Slam (August)
• Coming up: workshop series, CD release, fundraisers, Canadian Festival of Spoken Word in Victoria, HipHop Karaoke event, guerilla poetry on Toronto streets
Toronto Poetry Project wants to make poetry important once again - and make Toronto known for its talented spoken word artists.
To interview a TPP member, or get on the media list for upcoming shows, contact:
David Silverberg at info@torontopoetryslam.com or 416-312-3865.