Poetry when the world is on fire

This episode is a collection of contemporary poems written and spoken in by artist, activists, writers and poets from different countries (Copenhagen/New York/Lyon, Zambia/Malawi/Bern, Burkina Faso/Italy, Ghana, Tansania, Austria, Germany, Spain, England ecc.)- referring to the burning to the world we are living in right now. 

The call for entry started during the Corona lockdown in Austria and ended in June- so it includes Poetry that refers to the global historical time (Covid19/Blacklivesmatters protests/Racism in Europe/ but also Queerness and Feminism ecc.)

This episode is a collection of political poetry in wider sense, because it feels very urgent for this time.

The first poem is by Sylvian Souklaye- a live performer, poet, sound and video artist. He is interested in sampling intimacies about people who don’t belong to a determinat identity, gender, class, color or nationality. His latest works are the video performance Arm Wrestling For Two, Please and the performance black breathing. Further Information: https://www.sylvainsouklaye.com

2 Haikus are by Jay Percy, an artist and creator.

3 poems are by theater artist, writer and director Mbene Mwambene. He grew up in Zambia and Malawi and lives in Bern, Switzerland. Since he is very young he directs political theater-plays. Mbene worked as journalist and after touring with a piece for more than 6 years, he did a Master in „Expanded Theatre“ at the „Berner Hochschule der Künste“. Mwambene’s performances reflect his personal encounters with xenophobia, stereotyping and racism in Switzerland and Europe.

Poems are by Rukia Kurwa, known by the artist name „The annoying artist“, she is a  curator, performer, spoken word artist living in Daressalam, Tansania, currently producing a podcast and curating an art festival, THE ANNOYIN’ARTIST FESTIVAL since many years. Visit @theannoyinartist on Facebook and Instagram for more information! This is her TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=_x7sAVoqfRs

2 Poems are written and spoken by writer,  theater artist, activist, director, poet, lectures Afrodixit.  AFRODIXIT is an artist born in Burkina Faso,  she lives in Bergamo (Italy). She has a degree in Sociology and Master in African  Studies; investigates the social, conflicting and intercultural relations between us and the Others; analyzes African culture as ancestral element that influences the evolution of the personal identity of subjects living in contexts other than their origin. Further Information: https://afrodixit.wixsite.com/performance-portfo

3 Poems are by Brenda Bakomora, a Ghanaian artist and poet exploring photography, theatre, film and performance. Her work evokes emotions that have been drawn from personal and shared memories and realities.

2 Poems are by Julia Kannewischer; further Information: www.juliakannewischer.com

1 Poem is by Val Smith.

2 Poems are by author and poet Tali Cohen Shabtai from Jerusalem, Israel. further Information: http://www.helt.co.il/11_4.htm?fbclid=IwAR093ERN-CR7kPAVhhk-e0_1gPrA3YfsnkQoW2GW1EYGr2SaHEJC6Ud8IdI and https://simania.co.il/authorDetails.php?itemId=216831&fbclid=IwAR2pY72EEGG2soiHZzjLhF6xTdsPgoPqgZLYtsOHXMSEqpSsKR-h3SkPALI

2 poems are by Raphaela Salhofer, a video artist and poet. Her artistic work deals with rigid gender norms, sexism, racism and includes personal experiences of how it feels to grow up as a queer woman of color in a conservative countryside in Upperaustria. Further information: https://elasalhofer.wordpress.com/about/

2 poems are written by Miriam Navarro Prieto. She is a Spanish artist who drifted from performance art to drawing, now focused on writing poems and short stories on ecology, gender, queerness. Her first poetry chapbook ‘Todo está vivo’ will be self-published soon. Her work appears on Queer.Archive.Work’s ‘Urgency Reader 2’.

1 Poem is by Michael Vaccaro, an artist and writer based in Vienna.

Jingle- Voice by multi- media artist Raphaela Salhofer