Out on the Town with Random Acts of Poetry!

Out on the Town with Random Acts of Poetry!
Public Library + Community Doors are Opening to…
Celebrate Literacy, Art and Poetry!
During National Literacy Week + National/International Random Acts of Poetry Week
October 2nd to 8th 2006

Random Acts of Poetry: Thunder Bay Performance Project: A partnership initiative between the Thunder Bay Public Library and Definitely Superior Art Gallery in order to present a series of up to 30 spoken word performances featuring 18 poets throughout the City of Thunder Bay and all branches of Thunder Bay Public Library during National Literacy Week + National/International Random Acts of Poetry Week. Inspired by other international/national initiatives, the Second Annual “Random Acts of Poetry: Thunder Bay Performance Project” promotes literacy, art and poetry in a refreshing way to ordinary people in their everyday lives. The unified theme is intended to emphasis the creativity and enjoyment inherent in literacy development as shown through the written and verbal “word constructions” of the participating poets. See and hear the Poetry Construction Crew as they randomly bring urban interventions to our public venues. The crews will be visually compelling being identifiably dressed in bright orange coveralls and using highway traffic construction props. Each spoken word performance is only ten to twenty minutes, perfect for our busy lives!

How are the performances “random”? Akin to the common notion of “random acts of kindness,” the spoken word performances will be offered to the public in a positive spirit of kindness and generousity. The performances are also random in an improvisational sense, that the poets will read poems from their own repertoires that they feel will engage the atmosphere and audiences encountered in different performance locations. Furthermore, a loosely structured performance schedule will be made available to the public during Random Acts of Poetry week (Oct 2 –8) that lists various confirmed performance sites with estimated times (typically in one-hour time frames), so that the public may gather and linger in order to anticipate the show’s arrival, as well as listing other completely random performance stops within generally indicated public spaces, such as parks and downtown cores, thus surprising and entertaining passers-by.

Eighteen local poets of diverse ages and cultural backgrounds, as well as varied styles and strong experience in both writing and public performance will go out in daily “poetry construction crews” of up to five poets each day during Random Acts of Poetry week. It is hoped that people will come out to see some of Thunder Bay’s finest poets including: Chris Roy, Erin Stewart, Chris Waite-Smith, Cameron Willis, Amy Crnkovic, Sherri Lankinen, Taina Maki Chahal, Mary Frost, Renee Terpstra, Steven Gothard, Sharon Irvine, Black Rose, “Bebop” Brian Aysanabee, Kirsty Puurunen, Douglas Livingston, Nolan Schmerk (aka MC Solomon), PhebeAnn Wolframe and Jolene Cheryl Simko.

The Random Acts of Poetry (“RAP”) performance schedule will be available for pick-up at Definitely Superior Art Gallery and the front desks of all Thunder Bay Public Library branches during the Random Acts of Poetry Week from Monday October 2rd to Sunday, October 8th! Also new for 2006, there will be a “RAP” BLOG on the library website [www.tbpl.ca], where the performance schedule will also be posted, and where anyone can also go to publicly share their own poetry and give audience feedback on the RAP performances. The Blog address is: http://rap-tbpl.blogspot.com.

Also new for 2006, there will be a Random Acts of Poetry - Grade 8 Poetry Contest. The RAP poets will be the judges of this exciting poetry contest in order to mentor and inspire our city’s “future young artists”! Poems may be handed in during RAP week – October 2nd to 8th, 2006 at any Thunder Bay Public Library Branch. There is a limit of one poem per grade 8 student and it must be in paper form, either typed or handwritten. The three winners will be publicly announced on November 20th at a “RAP” Gala and Reading in the Brodie Library Fireside Reading Room at 7 p.m. Winners will be invited to read their poetry at the Gala and have their poem published in the 2nd Annual Random Acts of Poetry publication. (Note: Winners will be contacted 1 week before the Gala.) Warning…it’s Poetry Construction Season! Random Acts of Poetry…anywhere, anytime, stay tuned…all week from Monday, October 2rd to Sunday, October 8th!


For further information, please contact:

Renee Terpstra, Volunteer Project Organizer
Random Acts of Poetry: Thunder Bay Performance Project,
A Partnership of Definitely Superior Art Gallery + Thunder Bay Public Library
Gallery Contacts: Phone/Fax: (807) 344-3814, Email: defsup@tbaytel.net, Website: www.definitelysuperior.com


Random Acts of Poetry/October 2nd - 8th/Scheduled Library & City Stops
(Proviso: daily poet crews are subject to change without notice, all changes however would be listed on the Library’s BLOG.)
Route #1: Mon. Oct 2rd / 6:30 to 10:00 + p.m. / “Shakin’ Hands…”
(Poet Crew: Nolan Schmerk aka MC Solomon, Mary Frost, Steven Gothard, Douglas Livingston, Renee Terpstra)
• 1st stop ☺ City Hall (at 6:30 p.m. sharp/inside City Council meeting/Council mtgs. are open to the public)
• 2nd stop ☺ Brodie Resource Library (between 7 & 8 p.m)
• 3rd stop ☺ Waverley Resource Library (between 8 & 9 p.m.)
• 4th stop ☺ Random Stop in Downtown P.A. (between 8 & 9 p.m.)
• 5th Stop ☺ Open Stage at Jack’s Pub (Corner of Park + Cumberland St./Downtown P.A) (at 10:00 p.m.)

Route #5: Tues. Oct. 3th / 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. / “Day Trippin’ - Schools to Suburbia #1”
(Poet Crew: Erin Stewart, Black Rose, Cameron Willis, PhebeAnn Wolframe, Renee Terpstra)
• 1st stop ☺ CILU Radio 102.7 FM (Thunder Bay's new non-profit campus + community radio station) - “Memorize the City” Radio Show with David Ivany (listen in! - between 11:00 a.m. & 12:00 p.m.)
• 2nd stop ☺ Lakehead University (between 12:00 & 1:00 p.m)
• 3rd stop ☺ Confederation College (between 1 & 2 p.m.)
• 4th stop ☺ Mary J. L. Black Library in Westfort (between 1 & 2 p.m.)
• 5th stop ☺ Victoriaville Centre by the Food Court in Downtown F.W. (between 1 & 2 p.m.)

Route #3: Wed. Oct. 4th / 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. / “People Meet”
(Poet Crew: Chris Waite-Smith, Steven Gothard, Jolene Cheryl Simko, Chris Roy, Renee Terpstra)
• 1st stop ☺ Waverley Resource Library (between 7 & 8 p.m.)
• 2nd stop ☺ Brodie Resource Library (between 7 & 8 p.m)
• 3rd stop ☺ The Attendance Centre (Youth Drop-In @ Victoriaville Centre/Downtown F.W.) (btw. 7 & 8 p.m.)
• 4th stop ☺ Shelter House (Youth Wing Drop-In Area/Downtown F.W.) (between 8 & 9 p.m.)
• 5th stop ☺ Lakehead University – Open Stage at The Study (between 9 & 10 p.m.)

Route #4: Thurs. Oct. 5th / 12 to 3 p.m./ “Diversity Street”
(Poet Crew: Amy Crnkovic, Taina Maki Chahal, Sharon Irvine, Douglas Livingston, Renee Terpstra)
• 1st stop ☺ Seattle Coffee House on Cumberland St.*** (between 12:00 & 1:00 p.m.)
• 2nd stop ☺ Calico CoffeeHouse on Bay St. (between 1 & 2 p.m.)
• 3rd stop ☺ Anishnawbe Mushkiki (Health Care Clinic/Main Reception/Downtown P.A.) (between 1 & 2 p.m.)
• 4th stop ☺ Waverley Resource Library (between 2 & 3 p.m.)
• 5th stop ☺ Random Stop in Downtown P.A. (between 2 & 3 p.m.)

Route #5: Fri. Oct. 6th / 11:00 a.m to 2 p.m. / “Day Trippin’ - Schools to Suburbia #2”
(Poet Crew: Amy Crnkovic, Chris Roy, Sharon Irvine, Cameron Willis, Renee Terpstra)
• 1st stop ☺ Waverley Resource Library (Auditorium/Grade 8/Lakehead Public Schools/+ Public) (at 11 a.m.)
• 2nd stop ☺ PACI High School (Grades 10 to 12/in library during lunch hour/between 12:09 to 12:49 p.m.)
• 3rd stop ☺ Waverley Park Fountain (between 12 & 1 p.m.)
• 4th stop ☺ Seattle Coffee House on Red River Road (between 1:00 & 2:00 p.m.)
• 5th stop ☺ County Park Branch Library (between 1:00 & 2 p.m.)

Route #6: Sat. Oct 7th / 12 to 3 p.m. / “Central Shop & Coffee”
(Poet Crew: Nolan Schmerk (MC Solomon), Chris Waite-Smith, Jolene Cheryl Simko, Kirsty Puurunen, Renee Terpstra)
• 1st stop ☺ Waverley Resource Library (between 12:00 & 1:00 p.m.)
• 2nd stop ☺ Chapters Bookstore & Starbucks Coffee (between 1 & 2 p.m.)
• 3rd stop ☺ Calico CoffeeHouse on Bay St. (Next to the Hoito) (between 2 & 3 p.m.)
• 4th stop ☺ Sidewalk in front of Hoito Restaurant on Bay St. (between 2 & 3 p.m.)
• 5th stop ☺ Random Stop in Downtown P.A. (between 2 & 3 p.m.)

Route #7: Sun. Oct. 9th / 2 to 5 p.m. / “Intercity Park & Coffee”
(Poet Crew: Kirsty Puurunen, Black Rose, Brian Aysanabee, Sherri Lankinen, Renee Terpstra)
• 1st stop ☺ Random Stop in Downtown P.A. or F.W. (between 2 + 3 p.m.)
• 2nd stop ☺ Seattle Coffee House on Arthur Street (between 3 & 4 p.m.)
• 3rd stop ☺ Brodie Resource Library (between 3 & 4 p.m.)
• 4th stop ☺ P.A. Waterfront Park (near playground +/or train station +/or random stop) (between 4 + 5 p.m.)
• 5th stop ☺ Random Stop in Downtown P.A. (between 4 + 5 p.m.)