Our monthly youth poetry slam series continues in April but with an extra special bit of spice and hot sauce as we are also part of the Verses Festival of Words.

Now that our playoffs are complete we’re going to have a fun slam for cash and prizes. We’ll also have an extended open mic for those who are thinking about getting up on stage for the first time. The youth slam is open to poets 13-20 years of age.

All that AND we’re going to be having a feature performance from two of the poets who performed at the Talking Stick Festival in the Indigenuity showcase. Justin Bige and Molly Billows…

“Tawahum Justin Bige is a budding social justice activist and creative writing student from Surrey, BC. He believes in decolonization first and foremost. In 2017, he has performed his poetry at Talking Stick Festival’s Indigenuity, Stop the Pipelines, Start the Music visiting Kwantlen First Nation, Vancouver Poetry Slam and Slamapalooza. Tawahum has spent his young adulthood connecting with his Dene and Cree roots, and the Coast Salish roots of Vancouver and Surrey where he resides.

Molly Billows is swift waters, secrets, and salal berries. Northern Coast Salish from the Homalco Nation, they were adopted-out and grew up in and around Victoria. They has been living as a visitor in Vancouver, on the territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations since 2011. They are a queer, mixed, urban, Indigenous feminist, a spoken word poet, facilitator and a youth worker. Molly hopes to weave together stories in ways that lift up their communities, and contribute to collective healing, rage, resurgence and love.”

Doors and sign up at 7. Show at 8pm.

$4 for 18 and under and $6-$10 for 19 and up. Free to any Verses/CIPS poets with festival passes.

It’s cash only at the door. Please be kind to our volunteers. We acknowledge this event is taking place on the unceded territories of the Squamish, Musqueam and Tsleil Waututh nations. We also strive to have all of shows be trans friendly events and we hope you can help us accomplish those goals.

Thanks. And see you at the slam.

photo of Justin and Molly by Chris Randle