Description
Note: This workshop has been moved to Saturday, December 10, 10am–4pm
Open to all.
Limited to 12 participants.
We plan to hold this workshop in person at the QWF office, with up to two virtual slots available for people who are unable to come to our office. If public health conditions necessitate it, this workshop may transition to a purely online model.
In this introductory workshop, participants will craft a spoken word performance based on their own lived experience. Before attending, participants are encouraged to think of a few topics or experiences they would like to write about. The workshop will begin with video examples of spoken word performances and a number of writing exercises. Memory and recollection will then be used as starting points to create pieces that are vivid and relatable, and sharing will be encouraged at every stage of the writing process. The act of remembering, and creative writing as remembering, is like time travel – if you wanted to bring your reader with you on this journey, how would you describe what happened? Which of the five senses would you lean on? There will be time for discussion as well as silent periods dedicated solely to writing. Participants will receive guidance in using similes, metaphors, images, alliteration, and other poetic devices to further enhance their writing. They will also be encouraged to play with form, structure, and punctuation in a step-by-step process, as they write pieces that will reflect who they are and the experiences they have lived.
Once the pieces are written, participants will participate in a number of performance exercises. They will explore how their voices, facial expressions, gestures, and movements can make their performances unique and bring their poems to life. Tone, inflection, volume, and emotion will be explored as tools to help tell a story.
The objective of the workshop is for each participant to write a poem and present it to the group. Since this is an introduction to spoken word, the challenge inherent in writing and sharing personal stories will be openly addressed. Participants’ bravery and vulnerability will be celebrated and encouraged in a warm and supportive atmosphere. Participants will come away with a finished piece and a better understanding of how to tell the stories that are most important to them.
TIME: 10:00 to 16:00
DATE: December 10, 2022
LOCATION: QWF Office—1200 Atwater Avenue, Room 3, Westmount, QC
