Schedule
Afternoon Events (Tuesday to Saturday @ Lydia's): donation
Regular Evening Events (Monday to Thursday): $10
Semi-Finals (Friday @ Broadway Theatre): $20
Finals (Saturday @ Roxy Theatre): $20
Festival Passes (gain access to all events): $70
All afternoon events (showcases, workshops, panels) are all ages, and admission is by donation.
Semi-Finals and Finals are also all ages, but anyone under the age of 19 will need adult accompaniment.
Evening events at Lydia's (starting at 6:30pm) are 19+ only.
| Time | Event | Event Type | Location |
| 5pm | Daily Cypher Session | Entertainment | Victoria School Stage |
| 6:30pm | Evening Event Doors Open | Doors | Lydia's Main stage |
| 8pm | Thistledown Press Book Launch: Riot Lung by Leah Horlick | Book Launch | Lydia's Main stage |
| 9pm | Last Chance Slam | Entertainment | Lydia's Main stage |
| 11pm | Poetry Decathlon | Entertainment | Lydia's Main stage |
5pm Daily Cypher Session
Saskatoon has a tradition of holding a Cypher Session on Sundays after Tonight It’s Poetry, and we are happy to extend that tradition into the Festival of Health Research. Cypher sessions are spontaneous verses that poets come up with off the top of their heads. Using rhythm, melody, and language, poets circle up and take turns freestyling. There is often a DJ who provides beats for a cypher, but sometimes the beat comes from within the circle through beatboxing and singing. This is a free public event and open to any participants.
8pm Book Launch: Thistledown Press Presents Riot Lung by Leah Horlick
Leah Horlick’s poems vibrate with spontaneity and yet retain an intimacy that is emotionally intoxicating. Whether reflecting on her coming of age moments within her family, or measuring the impact of both the rural and urban prairie landscapes on her life, she never strays far from her spoken word roots or her feminist politics.
9pm Last Chance Slam
Due to an unexpected last-minute cancellation, we'll be holding a Last Chance Slam at 9pm. The top 4 poets in the Last Chance Slam will form a wild card team which will go on to compete in the national slam championship bouts.
11pm Poetry Decathlon
Traditionally the title of “The World’s Greatest Athlete” was given to the athlete who won the decathlon. Then what should we call the winner of the Poetry decathlon? A group of poets will compete in a gauntlet of 10 challenges to test their various poetic skills. Poets will need to sharpen the improvisation skills, stretch their seduction muscles, and their hunger for competition. (Sign up for the Decathlon begins at 6pm at the door)
| Time | Event | Event Type | Location |
| 11:30am | Afternoon Event Doors Open | Doors | Lydia's Pub |
| 12pm | Guerrilla Slam | Entertainment | Around Saskatoon |
| 1pm | Getting Butts in Seats and Poems on Mic: Expanding Your Poetry Community | Workshop* | Lydia’s Pub |
| 2pm | The Arctic is Me-eelting: Poetry in a Time of Environmental Crisis with Johnny MacRae | Showcase | Lydia’s Main stage |
| 4pm | Queer & Allies Poetry Showcase featuring Ryan Bradshaw, Zachari Logan, Belinda Betker, and Sara Waldbillig | Showcase | Lydia's Loft |
| 5pm | Daily Cypher Session | Entertainment | Victoria School Stage |
| 6:30pm | Evening Event Doors Open | Doors | Lydia's Pub |
| 7pm | Preliminary Bout I (Missisauga, Calgary, Urban Legends, Victoria) | Tournament Event | Lydia’s Main stage |
| 9pm | Preliminary Bout II (Montreal, Kitchener, Burlington, London) | Tournament Event | Lydia’s Main stage |
| 11pm | Haiku Deathmatch | Entertainment | Lydia's Main stage |
*Sign up for workshops is at the door and open to the public, first-come, first served. Space is limited.
12pm Guerrilla Slam
Some people think poetry is stuffy, boring lines of verse kept in dusty old English textbooks, or bizarre surrealist spoken words only appreciated by snooty hipsters in cafés, and that it is best avoided at all costs. Well a small group of poets are out to prove them wrong. This group of vagabonds will look like regular civilians, but use the element of surprise to strike out with poetic performances where they are not anticipated, sabotage the boring status quo with moving lines of emotional resonance, and just as quickly move to hit another target in the city. Who are these poets and where will they strike? That’s confidential. (Guerrilla poets will meet at noon in front of the Sheraton)
1pm Getting Butts in Seats and Poets on Mic with Charles Hamilton, Sean McGarragle, Rusty Priske, and Missie Peters
Getting large crowds to show up for a poetry reading is a tricky endeavor and getting members of those same crowds to get in front of the microphone to share their poetry is even harder. Our panel of four poetry slam organizers from across North America will share tips and tricks that you can use to expand your poetry community. Hosted by Charles Hamilton, Sean McGarragle, Rusty Priske, and Missie Peters.
2pm The Arctic Is Me-eelting!: Poetry in a Time of Environmental Crisis with Johnny MacRae
Poetry slam is largely an urban phenomenon. Urban communities tend towards a decidedly more anthropocentric outlook on the world. As such, the bulk of work at events such as the poetry slam is dedicated to urban, human experience. “Nature poetry” has an almost hokey feel about it. Why? An open mic showcase of environmentally-focused poetry (Note: poems do not need to have a political focus. Nature worship and hippie odes welcome!) and a discussion of the role of poets in a time of cataclysmic climate change.
4pm Queer & Allies Poetry Showcase featuring Ryan Bradshaw, Zachari Logan, Belinda Betker, and Sara Waldbillig
A open space to come share poetry on LGBTQ rights, gender and sexuality. Featuring local Saskatoon poets and an open mic.
5pm Daily Cypher Session
Using rhythm, melody, and language, poets circle up and take turns freestyling. There is often a DJ who provides beats for a cypher, but sometimes the beat comes from within the circle through beatboxing and singing. This is a free public event, and open to any participants.
7pm & 9pm Canadian National Slam Championship Preliminary Bouts I & II
These four-way team slams will feature poets from across Canada each doing 3 minute individual or team poems in a quest to win the national slam championship.
11pm Haiku Death Match
The haiku is poetry’s one-inch-punch. With only 17 syllables a poet can mortify, arouse, amuse or emotionally devastate an audience. 16 poets will use only haikus and go head to head in a single elimination tournament. At the end only one poet will be left standing and will be crowned 2012 Festival of Health Research Haiku Death Match Champion! (Sign up for Haiku Death Match begins at 6pm at the door)
12:30am Super Secret Musical Guest
Want to know who we have playing a set to end the night? Too bad, it’s confidential. To find out who it is, you’ll just have to show up!
| Time | Event | Event Type | Location |
| 11:30am | Afternoon Event Doors Open | Doors | Lydia's Pub |
| 12pm | First Daughters of Poetry Showcase featuring Mary Pinkoski and Alessandra Naccarato | Showcase | Lydia’s Main stage |
| 2pm | SpoCan AGM | SpoCan Event | Lydia’s Main stage |
| 4pm | Alternate Slam | Entertainment | Lydia's Main stage |
| 5pm | Daily Cypher Session | Entertainment | Lydia’s Main stage |
| 6:30pm | Evening Event Doors Open | Doors | Lydia’s Pub |
| 7pm | Preliminary Bout III (Regina, Vancouver, Edmonton, Saskatoon) | Tournament Event | Lydia's Main Stage |
| 7pm | Preliminary Bout IV (Last Wordsmiths, TPS, Capital Slam, Lanark County) | Tournament Event | Lydia's Loft |
| 9pm | Preliminary Bout V (Guelph, York, Montreal, Missisauga) | Tournament Event | Lydia's Main Stage |
| 9pm | Preliminary Bout VI (Winnipeg, UFTR, Calgary, Burlington) | Tournament Event | Lydia's Loft |
| 11pm | Poetry Erotica Featuring CR Avery & The Madison 22 Review | Entertainment | Lydia's Main Stage |
12pm First Daughters of Poetry featuring Mary Pinkoski and Alessandra Naccarato
Women have been integral to the founding, development and growth of spoken word poetry in Canada. Mentored by trailblazers in spoken word, a rising generation of women are shaping the medium through their poetry, performance and work within the community. This showcase will feature poetry heavyweights Mary Pinkoski and Alessandra Naccarato, and will be preceded by an open mic.
2pm SpoCan Annual General Meeting
This is an opportunity for any community member to meet the SpoCan board and executive, to hear updates on what’s going on nationally, and learn about opportunities for becoming more involved (including running for a Board position). A SpoCan Board meeting will follow.
4pm Alternate Slam
The slam team alternate is an often overlooked and thankless role. Just like their teammates they have to put in months of practice, sharpening their poetic skill sets for the tournament only to watch their teammates compete on the big tournament stage. Well, this is their time to shine. Team alternates from across Canada will compete for a chance to get onto the Festival of Health Research finals stage and showcase their poetic skills. (Sign up limited to Festival of Health Research Team Alternates. Sign up begins at 11am)
5pm Daily Cypher Session
Using rhythm, melody, and language, poets circle up and take turns freestyling. There is often a DJ who provides beats for a cypher, but sometimes the beat comes from within the circle through beatboxing and singing. This is a free public event and open to any participants.
7pm & 9pm Canadian National Slam Championship Preliminary Bouts III, IV, V, VI
These four-way team slams will feature poets from across Canada each doing 3 minute individual or team pieces in a quest to win the National Poetry Slam.
11pm Poetry Erotica Feat CR Avery & The Madison 22 Review
Comedy, poetry, burlesque & the dirty 12 bar blues: The Madison 22 Review brings it all back home.
| Time | Event | Event Type | Location |
| 11:30am | Afternoon Event Doors Open | Doors | Lydia’s Pub |
| 12pm | Building Safe and Healthy Communities Panel | Panel Discussion | Lydia's Loft |
| 12pm | Chapbook Making Workshop with Lisa Johnson | Workshop* | Lydia's Main stage |
| 1pm | Spoken Word in Schools with Chris Gilpin | Workshop* | Lydia's Loft |
| 2pm | Love the Messenger! Kill the cliche! Let's make a poem!: A collaborative writing workshop w Magpie Ulysses | Workshop* | Lydia's Loft |
| 4pm | Indigenous Voices Showcase featuring Eekwol | Showcase | Lydia's Main Stage |
| 5pm | Daily Cypher Session | Entertainment | Victoria School Stage |
| 6:30pm | Evening Event Doors Open | Doors | Lydia's Pub |
| 7pm | Preliminary Bout VII (Lanark County, Edmonton, UFTR, Guelph) | Tournament Event | Lydia’s Main stage |
| 7pm | Preliminary Bout VIII (Saskatoon, Capital Slam, York, Winnipeg) | Tournament Event | Lydia's Loft |
| 9pm | Preliminary Bout IX (Kitchener, Urban Legends, Vancouver, Last Wordsmiths) | Tournament Event | Lydia’s Main stage |
| 9pm | Preliminary Bout X (Victoria, London, TPS, Regina) | Tournament Event | Lydia's Loft |
| 11pm | Mashed Poetics: Texas Flood featuring The Love Struck Babies | Entertainment | Lydia's Main stage |
| 1am | Semi Final Teams Announced | Tournament Event | Lydia’s Main stage |
*Sign up for workshops is at the door and open to the public, first-come, first served. Space is limited.
12 pm Safe & Healthy Communities Panel
A panel of slam organizers, poets and social professionals will share their insights on how to create and protect safe poetry spaces.
12 pm Chapbook Making Workshop with Lisa Johnson
JackPine Press is proud to present a chapbook making workshop for writers, artists, design geeks, booklovers, DIY’ers, or anyone with the faintest interest in self-publishing, keeping a pretty diary, or giving sweet gifts to your friends. No experience necessary. Bring your own hands, a thimble (if you have one), and your magnificently creative brain. JackPine will provide all the materials, including tools, fancy glue and enough acid-free binding thread to hog-tie a small animal. Cost: $0. Limited space, sign up at the door 7:30.
1pm Spoken Word in School with Chris Gilpin
How do I start a successful poetry-in-schools program? How do I create a lesson plan? How much should I charge per workshop? Chris Gilpin will answer all of these questions and more. Chris has run WordPlay, Vancouver Poetry House’s poetry-in-schools program for four years, managing a team of 18 poets and increasing the number of workshop bookings fivefold over that time.
2pm Love the Messenger! Kill the cliché! Let’s make a poem! : A collaborative writing workshop with Magpie Ulysses
It takes your whole life to write a poem. There are a lot of stories. How is it then that a single poem, birthed of one personal story can touch so many people’s roots, hearts and cerebral folds? What happens then when we write together? How do we touch down with the depth inside one personal story and write something meaningful for an audience? How do we love the messenger and kill the cliché while mastering the art of spoken word writing as a group? Come and share in a happening of the act of writing. A practice in creation for anyone with a story, and everyone who knows anything about anything. *(no pens or paper required! Just presence).
4pm Indigenous Voices featuring Eekwol
Indigenous poets from across the Americas, both familiar names and emerging voices. (Sign up for open mic starts at 11:30 at door)
5pm Daily Cypher Session
Saskatoon has a tradition of holding a Cypher Session on Sundays after Tonight It’s Poetry, and we are happy to extend that tradition into the Festival of Health Research. Cypher sessions are spontaneous verses that poets come up with off the top of their heads. Using rhythm, melody, and language, poets circle up and take turns freestyling. There is often a DJ who provides beats for a cypher, but sometimes the beat comes from within the circle through beatboxing and singing. This is a free public event, and open to any participants.
7pm & 9pm Canadian National Slam Championship Preliminary Bouts VII, VIII, IX, X
These four-way team slams will feature poets from across Canada each doing 3-minute individual or team poems in a quest to win the national slam championship.
11pm Mashed Poetics Texas Flood featuring Love Struck Babies
Mashed Poetics is a spoken word and music mash up event where a music album is chosen and poets are assigned a song from the record to use as a prompt to write a new piece of work. The night of a show we get a cover band to play the entire album with poets performing in response to the songs. The album chosen for Festival of Health Research is Texas Flood by Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble. 10 songs, 10 poets, 1 night of magic.
| Time | Event | Event Type | Location |
| 11am | Performance Workshop with Mike McGee | Workshop* | Lydia's Pub |
| 12pm | Banter Workshop with Brendan McLeod | Workshop* | Lydia's Loft |
| 2pm | Spoken Weird Showcase featuring RC Weslowski, Missie Peters and Chris Gilpin | Showcase | Lydia's Main stage |
| 4pm | Neo-Griots - Under a Funk-a-licious Tree featuring Ian Keteku | Showcase | Lydia's Main stage |
| 5pm | Daily Cypher Session | Entertainment | Victoria School Stage |
| 7pm | Tournament Semi-Finals | Tournament Event | Broadway Theatre |
*Sign up for workshops is at the door and open to the public, first-come, first served. Space is limited.
11am Performance Workshop with Mike McGee
In this performance workshop we will explore developing more natural delivery and speech, implementing improvisational and comedic aspects, and introducing or tightening a practice routine.
12pm Banter Workshop with Brendan McLeod
Whenever you’re showcasing a group of poems for an audience, you always have to figure out how best to contextualize them. This workshop tackles what to do between poems onstage. What subjects should you talk about? What kind of stories/snippets/haikus/jokes should you tell? How do you change your performance style to accommodate these? The difference between a good set and a killer set is often how a poet relates to the audience. In this workshop, we’ll talk about how to do this in a way that is effective and true to your personality.
2pm Spoken Weird Showcase featuring RC Weslowski, Missie Peters and Chris Gilpin
Some poetry is so out of the box, so out there, so on the cutting edge that trying to categorize it in any ways is an exercise in futility. Come out and see these round pegs utterly refuse to go in square holes. This showcase will feature famously weird poets RC Weslowski, Missie Peters and Chris Gilpin and will be preceded by an open mic for any poets seeking to share their strangest material.
4pm Neo-Griots - Under a Funk-a-licious Tree featuring Ian Keteku
Hailing from the mosaic that is West African culture, a griot is the keeper of records, poet, storyteller, elder, and historical museum of timeless information shared with the community at large. In essence, this African tradition of orality is the Great, Great, Great Grandmother of modern artistic disciplines including spoken word, hip hop, improve, movement and sound. Young oralists Ian Keteku, Scruffmouth Scribe and Jen Kunlire with showcase and will be preceded by an open mic for any neo-griot poets who want to share their poetry. (Sign up for open mic starts at 11:30).
5pm Daily Cypher Session
Saskatoon has a tradition of holding a Cypher Session on Sundays after Tonight It’s Poetry, and we are happy to extend that tradition into the Festival of Health Research. Cypher sessions are spontaneous verses that poets come up with off the top of their heads. Using rhythm, melody, and language, poets circle up and take turns freestyling. There is often a DJ who provides beats for a cypher, but sometimes the beat comes from within the circle through beatboxing and singing. This is a free public event and open to any participants.
7pm Canadian National Slam Championship Semi-Finals
8 teams survived the preliminary slams, but the battle isn’t over yet. In two semi-finals slams, 8 teams will be reduced down to the 4. Which teams will continue onto finals and which teams will be left in their wake?
| Time | Event | Event Type | Location |
| 11am | Improv for Poets with Missie Peters | Workshop* | Lydia's Pub |
| 12pm | Last Chance Open Mic | Entertainment | Lydia's Loft |
| 3pm | Canadian National Individual Youth Poetry Slam Championship | Entertainment | Lydia’s Main stage |
| 7pm | Canadian National Slam Championship Finals | Tournament Event | Roxy Theatre |
*Sign up for workshops is at the door and open to the public, first-come, first served. Space is limited.
11am Improv for Poets with Missie Peters
Learn how to tap into your impulses and mine them for new ideas, and new ways of presenting your ideas. Learn how to let poetry come from your body, not just your pen. Also- learn to have a little more fun with your poetry. Former Slam Master Missie Peters will take you through improv exercises and games specifically designed to enhance your poetic practice.
12pm Last Chance Open Mic
Didn’t get a chance to share that poetic bombshell at the tournament or have a new poem that you want to share with the masses? Well this is your last chance. (Sign up starts at 11:30am).
3pm Canadian National Individual Youth Poetry Slam Championship
8 of Canada’s best youth poets take the stage to determine who will be crowned Canada’s National Youth Slam Champion.
5pm Daily Cypher Session
Saskatoon has a tradition of holding a Cypher Session on Sundays after Tonight It’s Poetry, and we are happy to extend that tradition into the Festival of Health Research. Cypher sessions are spontaneous verses that poets come up with off the top of their heads. Using rhythm, melody, and language, poets circle up and take turns freestyling. There is often a DJ who provides beats for a cypher, but sometimes the beat comes from within the circle through beatboxing and singing. This is a free public event and open to any participants.
7pm Canadian National Slam Championships featuring Festival of Health Research 2012 Poets of Honour Brendan McLeod and Magpie Ulysses
After 4 days of competition 20 teams have been narrowed down to the final four. Which city will take home the Championship this year? This event will also feature special performances by Festival of Health Research Guests of Honor Brendan McLeod and Magpie Ulysses.
