As Lemn promises on his blog, this evening at the Slave Church, “It’s gonna be full of fire and ice!”
Lemn Sissay is a poet and playwright. He’s an Associate Artist at Europe’s largest arts complex, the Southbank Centre. He’s the first poet commissioned to write for the 2012 Olympics. His poem “Spark Catchers” is etched into a transformer on the Olympic site. He is an honorary Doctor of Letters. He curated the world’s first Literature Festival of The Sea. His Landmark Poems are etched on landmarks throughout Manchester and London. In London they adorn the Royal Festival Hall and The City. His Landmark Poem Gilt of Cain, commissioned by the City of London, is near Fenchurch St Station and was unveiled by Bishop Desmond Tutu in 2006.
In 2010, Lemn travelled to the Arctic with Jarvis Cocker, Laurie Anderson, Martha Wainwright, KT Tunstall, Lesley Feist. He is featured in Burning Ice, the film of the voyage.
On the 24th September 2011, poets are planning individual events around the world to simultaneously take place in a demonstration and celebration of poetry to promote social and political change.
So far over 335 cities representing 68 countries have signed up to make this global initiative a success through poetry readings, political demonstrations, community picnics, awareness events, parades, and more.
Badilisha Poetry X-Change is the first of two 100 Thousand Poets events happening in Cape Town. The other, The I Am Somebody Soiree with Toni Stuart, starts at 18H00 (phone 0725733597 for more information).
At the Badilisha Poetry X-Change event you will hear the stirring voices of Malika Ndlovu (accompanied by Lodi Paul Inga), Ernestine Deane, and Mbali Vilakazi, along with emerging poets, Desiree Bailey, Erin Bosenberg, Tauriq Jenkins, Roche Kester, Izahjah Korianda, Thobekile Mbanda, Omnyama, Coco Putuma, Dejavu Tafari, Paul Shangase and Lwanda Sindaphi.
Entrance is free. First come, first served. Phone: 021 422 0468.
Fire Word Fridays right in the FIFA 2010 Football Zone!
Badilisha! Poetry X-Change hot on the trails of its May 2010 Live events at the Cape Town City Hall and the launch of its pioneering online Badilisha Poetry Radio platform www.badilishapoetry.com, collaborates with Cape Creative Exhibition to showcase 15 diverse City-based poets on Friday evenings 25th June , 2nd and 9th July from 6pm – 7:30pm in a series called Fire Word Fridays! Each session will present 5 wordsmiths in a potent mix of voices and genre to offer audiences a platter of poetry with something warm and juicy for everyone’s palate this Winter.
MC for all 3 Friday sessions: Writer-Poet Mbali Vilakazi.
Featured poets include:
25 June 2010 : Khadija Heeger • Sandile Dikeni • Karin Schmike • croc E moses • Zozo Mahoto
2 July 2010 : Mwila Mambwe • Simric Yarrow • Lucille Greeff • Tania van Schalkwyk • Dr. Sindiwe Magona • Poetic Pilgrimage (UK Guests)
9 July 2010 : Bulelwa Basse • Mavis Smallberg • Aryan Kaganof • Natasha Tafari • Suzy Bell
Tickets @ R 30 pre-sold or at the door available at the Cape Creative Exhibition venue, 37 Main Road Greenpoint.For further queries contact Thessa Bos and Chantal Louw, Curators of the Cape Creative Exhibition.
An InterActive Africa Day Commemoration
Annual Africa Day celebrations globally on the 25th May are, amongst other goals, intended to affirm African unity in diversity.
Badilisha Live’s Poetry Beyond Boarders is an invitation to reflect with our eyes, ears and minds on this notion of celebrating Africa as common ground literally and figuratively.
In South Africa who is the “other”? What real or perceived boundaries define insiders and outsiders? Are we not all the “other” when we move away from home, the known, our comfort zones … into the new territories where we could also be viewed as immigrant, alien, visitor, foreigner?
Audiences are invited to engage with poetry created in response to these questions at the Cape Town City Library, from 12h30on Africa Day, Tuesday 25th May 2010. The entire performance will be broadcast over the PA system, performed in various spaces and captured on the page.
Africa Day will feature both the Badilisha LIVE 2010 guest poets along with local poets who participated in the X-Cavate masterclass, held on the 19th to 24th May. They will lead us on a poetic journey through the Library, navigating with their words and symbolically shifting, distorting and exposing the fragility and humour of our stereotypes – about ourselves and each other. We will also showcase Email to the Ancestor’s, a multi-media poetry collaboration between Cape Tow’s own composer-musician extraordinaire, Hilton Schilder and Red Eye events curator and writer Suzy Bell.
In collaboration with the Badilisha Poetry X-Change, Chimurenga Magazine, will present their Chronicles project which aims to reflect and stimulate discussion on the two-year span since the eruptions of xenophobic violence in South Africa in May 2008. The Chimurenga Chronicles project will be launched in May 2011.
