Amplify Spoken Word Intensive: Mar 19 to 22

In partnership with Historic Joy Kogawa House, we’re excited to present the Amplify: Spoken Word Intensive!

This intensive will bring a cohort of poets together to be mentored by a world class faculty from March 19 to 22, 2025. Members of the intensive cohort will spend time developing work and deepening their practice in Spoken Word with guidance from Sheri-D Wilson, Brandon Wint, and C.R. Avery, culminating in a shared presentation at a closing house concert. During the intensive, the faculty along with some special guests will be offering workshops open to the community. And on March 23, we’ll be offering a special workshop for youth aged 14 to 22!

Limited spaces are available for the inaugural cohort. For more information on how to be a part the cohort contact: executivedirector@kogawahouse.com

PUBLIC EVENTS SCHEDULE

All events are $15. Sign up is open to anyone interested via Zeffy. We don’t want to turn anyone away due to financial barriers. If these exist for you, accommodations are available. Please contact info@kogawahouse.com to find out more.

Imagery and Constraint | Workshop with Brandon Wint – HYBRID
Mar 19 | 6 PM to 8 PM
A writing workshop about form, image/metaphor and how they evolve to fit within a specific poetic constraint (literary form, device, rhythm, metre, etc.) There will be space for each student to share their work and have it discussed with feedback from Brandon.

Curation of a Set | Artist Talk with Brandon Wint – HYBRID
Mar 20 | 11 AM to 12:00 PM
Brandon Wint offers emerging and mid-career poets insights on how to curate a set for a reading. This event is hybrid, guests can participate in-person and online

Genre Bending & Community Building: Spoken Word & Speculative Poetry | Workshop with Sheri-D Wilson – IN-PERSON
Mar 20 | 6 PM to 8 PM
A drop-in workshop led by Sheri-D Wilson regarding genre mixing and community.

Community-Engaged Art | Artist Talk with Johnny D Trinh – HYBRID
Mar 21 | 11 AM to 12:30 PM
This talk is for artists of any discipline who are :interested in community-engaged art; bringing their practices into community spaces; or new to designing/facilitating workshops. Johnny will share examples of community-engaged art from individual artists, to organizations. Trinh will highlight introductory concepts and considerations with engaging in community focusing on concepts of ethics, accountability, and consent. This event is hybrid, guests can participate in-person and online.

Performance | Workshop with Johnny D Trinh – IN-PERSON
Mar 22 | 10 AM to 12 PM
A tutorial on performance, with an interactive workshop portion.

Epic Poetry | Panel Discussion with Sheri-D Wilson & Renée Sarojini Saklikar, moderated by Johnny D Trinh – IN-PERSON*
Mar 22 | 1 PM to 3 PM
A must-see panel where Sheri-D Wilson with special guest, Renée Sarojini Saklikar, discuss the evolution of poetry, and the craft of creating epic poems. This panel will offer a Question and Answer talk back, along with reading excerpts, moderated by Johnny Trinh
*This event will be filmed and posted online at a later date.

Amplify Closing Event | House Concert with C.R. Avery & the Amplify Cohort – IN-PERSON
Mar 22 | 7 PM to 9 PM
Come celebrate the finale of the intensive at an intimate house concert featuring beloved Vancouver musicians, artists, conducted by C.R. Avery and featuring collaborations and presentations from the Amplify Cohort!

WordPlay Youth Workshop | Workshops with TBC – HYBRID
Mar 23 | 4 PM to 5:30 PM
Open to all youths ages 14-22, this is a spoken word workshop led by Vancouver Poetry House Wordplay Poets who specialize in offering writing workshops to youth. Come and experiment with new ways to write, play, perform, and collaborate on writing poetry together.

ACCESSIBILITY INFO FOR HISTORIC JOY KOGAWA HOUSE:

Historic Joy Kogawa House is not currently wheelchair accessible and may pose challenges for some individuals with mobility-related access needs. Here are some specifications for your consideration:

  • A low-slope ramp allows access to the front yard
  • There are 5 steps leading to the front door, each 121.5 cm in width and 8 cm in height
  • The front door and dining room entry are 85 cm wide
  • The bathroom entry is 70 cm wide, with 17 cm clearance on each side of the toilet
  • The house has a range of chairs with arms and without arms
  • Assistance animals are welcome

Additionally, please note that while this event will not be mask-mandatory, in-person attendees are strongly encouraged to wear masks for the safety and comfort of their fellow attendees.

If you have specific questions or concerns about accessibility at Historic Joy Kogawa House, please connect with them using their contact form.