Hal Lackie

Slammaster, Vanslam
Volunteer Coordinator, Verses

photo credit: Nang Ḵ’uulas

 

Hal is a 4th generation settler, currently living on the unceded territories of the  xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-waututh), and sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) people colonially known as Vancouver, BC. Hal has gone to school for human services – working with indaviduals and in community since 2010.
Hal is the current Slammaster of the Vancouver Poetry Slam – they have also worked on the coordinating team for verses festival of words 2018, volunteered at verses 2017 and throughout the regular slam since joining the community a few years ago.
Despite being the Slammaster, Hal has never competed in a slam, and has made their focus to highlight qt-bipoc voices and meld art and community together. Hal believes that art saves lives, and helps shift societal values.

Mariah Lynne Dear

Youth Slam Coordinator

 

Mariah Lynne Dear is a majestic woman who lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. She is a poet, a nonfiction writer, a feminist, a writing workshop facilitator, and the coordinator of the Vancouver Youth Poetry Slam. Since her spoken word poetry debut at age seventeen, she has travelledacross Canada competing both individually and as a team representing the city of Vancouver. You can find out what Mariah is currently working on at http://mariahlynnedear.com!

Tessa Bourguignon

Wordplay Coordinator

 

Tessa is a bilingual writer, designer, and educator. She comes to WordPlay with over a decade of involvement in the poetry community, including a french performance in the Vancouver Writers’ Festival, and just as many years of facilitation experience. Carrying a strong drive to provide youth with platforms to express themselves, her coordination approach is informed by a theatre background, and entrepreneurial experience starting a small local business geared towards accessibility and social justice through design.

Johnny MacRae

CIPS Tournament Director, Verses

RC Weslowski

Hullabaloo Coordinator

 

RC Weslowski is a 2017 VPL Book Camp Keynote Speaker, winner of the 2016 Sheri D Wilson Golden Beret Award and the 2012 Canadian Individual Poetry Slam Champion. RC is a 2 time World Cup of Poetry Slam Finalist (2007 and 2013) and 7 time member of the Vancouver Poetry Slam. RC has led spoken word and performance workshops at festivals across North America and for the Banff Centre’s Spoken Word Program.

RC is the co-founder and co-director of Hullabaloo: the BC Youth Spoken Word Festival. He is also the co-creator of Surrealist Audio Collage Podcast “Oh No Not Another Podcast”

http://poets.ca/goldenberet/

www.rcweslowski.com