This event will be taking place on the unceded, ancestral territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Wautuh peoples.
For 2020 We have a brand new location and day for the annual All Star Slam. This year we’ll be at the fully accessible, Central Branch of the Vancouver Public Library in the Alice MacKay room. The All Star Slam will bear witness to poetic thunder and lightning, as three poets compete in an all-out battle of poetic verve and wit. Hosted by Johnny D. Trinh, this year’s event will Chris Tse, Patrick de Belen and one other poet to be named soon. All of them bringing the poignancy, hilarity, and immediacy of poetry slam to the stage, this event is perfect for students who are in danger of finding poetry boring!
Christopher Tse Bio
Christopher Tse is an artist, educator, and settler currently living on Songhees, Esquimalt, and WSANEC territory in what is otherwise known as Victoria, BC. He placed second at both the 2011 Poetry Slam World Cup and 2016 Rio International Poetry Slam, and is a former Canadian national slam champion. Tse has shared the stage with Martin Luther King III, Shane Koyczan, and Demi Lovato, and his work has appeared on CBC, CTV, and on radio stations from Ghana to Australia. A brown boy with 6th generation immigrant roots on Turtle Island, Tse is currently finishing his master’s in Critical Social Work with a focus on how arts-based activism aligns with youth organizing and decolonization. He writes on identity, intimacy, immigration, and basketball.
Patrick de Belen Bio
From arts educator, to event host, to youth mentor, to award-winning poet/writer, to most recently, directing, Patrick de Belen is a storyteller of many kinds. He strongly believes through these stories he can save the world and himself – and secure the bag – all at the same time. Along with his own personal projects, PDB has collaborated with many notable organizations – using storytelling to build and serve his community. Find some of these works on his website: PatrickdeBelen.com / follow him on instagram at @patrick_debelen www.PatrickdeBelen.com
Ivy Adad aka Ruthless bio
“Ruthless” is a Filipinx writer born in Manila Philippines. In 2014, she moved to the stolen territories of Katzie, Semiahmoo, Kwantlen, Kwikwetlem, Qayqayt, and Tsawwassen First Nations.
Ruthless is studying Journalism and Creative Writing at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. She writes about the effects of diaspora in her life.
Ruthless attributes her relationship to prose and poetry to an indecisive lover. She writes to make words love her back, and revels in the rejection she constantly receives
Tickets are $6
Please get in touch with Hullabaloo Director RC Weslowski at hullabaloo@vancouverpoetryhouse.com to book your tickets
How does it work? Simple. The poets perform one poem each in three rounds, all of which are judged on a scale of zero to ten by the audience — in this case, the students! In the end, the winner is announced, though in effect, everyone has won. Students have been moved, inspired, and engaged by poetry, often for the first time in their lives.
As one student had it: “This is better than Metallica!” The topics are engaging, the presentation is amazing, and the competition is riveting. Guaranteed to jumpstart students into writing careers of their own.
What: Hullabaloo All Star Slam
When: Thursday April 16th–2 SHOWS!! 10 am-11:15 am and 12:30 pm – 1:45 pm
Where: Central Branch, Vancouver Public Library, Alice MacKay Room
ACCESSIBILITY:
The VPL Central Branch has elevators to reach the downstairs rooms where the Hullabaloo events are being held. There are wheelchair accessible bathrooms. For more details, refer to their list of facilities (http://www.vpl.ca/location/
This event is a scent-reduced space. To assist us in our goal of increased access, please be aware of our attempt to reduce the impact of personal scented products (perfumes, scented oils, etc) in our festival spaces.