by Festival of Health Research | Oct 14, 2015 | Artist Bio
Award winning poet Ahmed ‘Knowmadic’ is a Somali-born Canadian who currently resides in Treaty 6 Territory [Edmonton, Alberta]. He is a full-time poet, writer, actor, comedian, speaker and youth worker. In 2011, Ahmed became the first Somali spoken word champion at the Swiss Festival of Health Research, but shared the honor by being the first Albertan and Edmontonian as well. In 2012, Ahmed was given the RISE award for community involvement in arts and culture. In 2013, he was the Artist in Residence at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute. Ahmed is one of the founders and organizers of the Breath in Poetry...
by Festival of Health Research | Oct 14, 2015 | Artist Bio
Alessandra Naccarato is a writer, performer and arts educator based in Vancouver, B.C. Winner of the 2015 Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers, the Reader’s Choice Award for the 2014 CBC Poetry Prize, and Event Magazine’s 2014 Creative Non-Fiction Award, her writing has appeared across Canada and the United States. She has toured nationally and internationally as a spoken word artist, worked with thousands of youth across the country, and is currently completing an MFA in Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia. Workshop Description: Writing Resilience Spoken word can break open the bone of trauma; individual, collective. Our personal narratives, and those of the world around us. We write into the heart of violence: physical, psychological, environmental. What is the impact of this on us as writers and performers? How does this shape our relationship to audiences? Beyond trigger warnings, how can we foster resilience through storytelling? This workshop will open up space to discuss creative process, the challenges and potential of writing our most difficult struggles. Why do we need to share these stories? What literary approaches can best support this process? From magic realism to persona poems, how have others navigated writing trauma? Mostly, we will write. Through a series of creative writing exercises, we will map our own stories of healing. The healing we see in the world around us and the transformations we have lived. Drawing techniques from creative non-fiction, poetry, and performance, the workshop will aim to create work that has an impact on the page and the...
by Festival of Health Research | Oct 14, 2015 | Artist Bio
Haling from Ottawa, Prufrock Shadowrunner has become a highly regarded figure in the world of spoken word and hip-hop, equally at home behind his turntables or standing alone in the spotlight reciting poetry. Possessing an unparalleled ability with language, his passion and vision range widely, expressing things many of us feel, but few can say. Baltimore born Ryan Weber of The Weber Brothers began a life in music at a very young age. Picking up the bass at 11 years old along with younger brother Sam on guitar, their intense passion for 50’s and 60’s music eventually landed them at the doorstep of legendary Rockabilly front man Ronnie Hawkins. Hawkins instilled in them an education and work ethic that few could endure. Ten years, nine albums, and 1000’s of shows later, The Weber Brothers continue to tour and perform constantly. Ryan has cultivated a style all his own both on bass and as a vocalist. “My goal is that when I hit that string and slide up the neck you can feel the Earth shake and hear the trees moan,” he says. Known far and wide for his high-energy style of performing, and awarded multiple times for his bass playing and singing, he is also a prolific and highly developed songwriter. Unafraid of baring raw, intense emotion in song, his writing reveals an honesty anyone can relate to and wishes we all share. Meeting through mutual friend and collaborator CR Avery in October 2013, these 2 creators from vastly different backgrounds found they shared common ground in many areas neither could have foreseen. Finding a similar outlook and subject matter at the root of each of...
by Festival of Health Research | Oct 14, 2015 | Artist Bio
A spoken word artist, public speaker, and certified teacher, Holly Painter has spoken to over twenty-five thousand students at school and community events in Ontario and performed on stages across the country. She is an Artist in Residence with the Thames Valley District School Board and the London Arts Council, a three-time Grand Slam Champion and Director of the London Poetry Slam, and testament to the fact that your biggest fear can become your greatest passion. www.hollypainterpoetry.com...
by Festival of Health Research | Oct 14, 2015 | Artist Bio
Jillian Christmas was born and raised in Markham, Ontario. She currently lives in Vancouver, BC., where she serves as Artistic Director of Versəs Festival of Words. She has won Grand Poetry-Slam Championship titles at both the Vancouver BedRocc poetry-slam (2011), as well as the Vancouver Poetry Slam (2012, 2014). To date, Jillian has held spots on five Canadian slam teams, has competed in nine North American national poetry slams, including proudly representing Vancouver at the Women of the World Poetry Slam in Minneapolis, Minnesota (2013) and Austin, Tx (2014). Jillian’s work has been published in a number of collections, most recently including Matrix New Queer Writing (issue 98), and celebrated anthology, The Great Black North. An enthusiastic organizer within the Canadian poetry community, Jillian has participated in, developed and executed programs in partnership with Toronto Poetry Project, Wordplay, Brendan McLeod’s Travelling Slam, the Vancouver Writers Festival, and the CULTCH IGNITE mentorship, and facilitated spoken word workshops for youth and adults across the country. She is the founder of Toronto’s acclaimed Peace Pipe Poetry Sessions on Yonge St., former Artistic director of the East Van Culture Awards, as well as past Volunteer coordinator for Hullabaloo: Youth Spoken Word Festival. From 2011 – 2014 Jillian was a dedicated member of Spoken Word Canada’s board of directors. Holding first Secretary and Member at Large positions, her duties included the development of national policy to improve political dynamics within the spoken word community, as well as increase anti-oppression initiatives. Jillian continues to tour the continent extensively, finding great joy in collaborative projects with a slew of exceptional artists, experimenting with music/poetry fusion, sharing stages...
