Mental Health Access
VPH is committed to values of accessibility for all our audiences, poets, and volunteers, and committed to providing support to our community. We will provide active listening services at many of our in person events, with the added option to contact an Active Listener by email activelistener@vancouverpoetryhouse.com or telephone 604-250-0938 during the festival (April 20-29).
What are active listeners?
Active Listeners are there to help Verses hold space and to receive positive and negative feedback from audience members to be transmitted to organizers at a more opportune moment. Sometimes poetry might be triggering or engaging and people might need some emotional support. We are there to listen compassionately and provide community resource lists if they may be helpful.
How can I contact an active listener?
In person: Active Listeners are at our in-person Verses events and can be identified by glow sticks.
Online: For our online Verses events, an active listener will be present and available to contact via a zoom breakout room or by phone. In addition, we have dedicated 2 hours during the day from April 26-29th where you can schedule a drop in time to speak to our active listeners via zoom. All discussions are confidential.
To schedule a time, email ActiveListeners@vancouverpoetryhouse.com with the subject line “Active Listening- _name____” and include the name of the listener you would like to speak with. Sessions can be as long or as brief as needed, and will take place via zoom to include closed captioning.
Other Resources
Community Resource List
In addition to offering active listening services, many of our in person event spaces will include a held space area where audiences and poets are able to decompress.