VIPF 2012 On The Way

Wonderful poets and poetry enthusiasts,

This is just a tiny reminder about the 2nd Annual Vancouver International Poetry Festival and the 2nd Annual Canadian Individual Poetry Slam Championship this coming April 23rd through 28th 2012. Some of you may note that the festival is later on ion April. This is because we wish to align our schedule with the Calgary International Spoken Word Festival and the wonderful Banff Spoken Word Program so that we can collaborate in future years and so that potentially artists may attend both.

Attending poets, pass holders and tournament volunteers will receive a festival pass that will get poets into all events including the Vancouver Poetry Slam Team Finals on Monday April 23rd, Mashed Poetics on Tuesday April 24th and of course, the bouts, side events and workshops, and the Canadian Individual Poetry Slam Finals on Saturday April 28th.

Team will needs to tell us whether they’re sending a rep to Indies by February 1st. The opening for Storm Poets registration will be March 1st 2012. As of right now we will still be offering the travel subsidies and prize money (please see below for exact details) but we are unsure what will have in store with regards to workshops. Because we did not receive a dime from the Canada Council this year for the festival we will be looking at creative options to make this festival even better than last year’s.

Charles Hamilton will be back as tournament director. We will still be having a Haiku Death Match, a late night Nerd Slam, an Erotica show and a return of the poets brunch courtesy of Johnny MacRae and Steve Miller. The schedule will be trimmed down due to the Canada Council short fall but it should still be crazy fun and I’m going to bust my hump on the fundraising between now and then.

Again, this year we will have 38 open slots and 1 reserved for the returning champion Open Secret (should he wish to defend his championship) and 1 reserved for the Last Chance Slam on Wednesday April 25th.

All the venues will be on or around Commercial Drive, including our weekly home to the Vancouver Poetry Slam, Cafe Deux Soleils (2096 Commercial Drive) and our home away from home, The Rio Theatre (1660 E. Broadway at Commercial).

If you have specific questions that can’t wait, please shoot me an email at mcgarragle@gmail.com and include in the subject line either Canadian Indies or VIP.

I hope you’re all really well and hopefully we’ll see you soon or at least in April.

– Sean and the rest of the VIP team

1 Halifax Word Iz Bond $200.00

2 Montreal Throw Collective $150.00

3 Sherbrooke Poetry Slam $150.00

4 Ottawa Capital Slam $150.00

5 Ottawa Urban Legends $150.00

6 Lanark County Live Poets’ Society $150.00

7 Toronto Poetry Slam $150.00

8 Toronto Up From The Roots $150.00

9 London Poetry Slam $150.00

10 Kingston Poetry Slam $150.00

11 Burlington Slam Project $150.00

12 Peterborough Poetry Slam $150.00

13 Guelph Poetry Slam $150.00

14 Winnipeg Poetry Slam $100.00

15 Saskatoon Poetry Slam $100.00

16 Edmonton Poetry Slam $50.00

17 Calgary SLAM $50.00

18 Victoria Poetry Slam $25.00

19 Van Slam $25.00

20 Raw Canvas Slam $25.00

21 New West Slam $25.00

22 UBC Slam $25.00

Total $2,425

Prize Money

1st $1,000

2nd $500

3rd $400

4th $300

5th $250

Total $2,450.00