The Word Festival 2004 - July 13 - 17 2004

Media Release 1 July 2004

The Word Collective and Thistle Hall are proud to present

The Word Festival 2004

July 13 - 17 2004

“A delicious helping from a bunch of adventurous boundary crossers”
The Package

The Word Festival 2004 is a celebration of words in all their forms – sung, drawn or shouted. On at Cuba St’s Thistle Hall from July 13 – 17 it offers audiences the opportunities to peruse, participate and perform alongside the new voices of the city’s poetry scene.

Word Festival Organisers Craig Ireson and Ciara Mulholland say they were encouraged to put it on again after the success of last year’s Festival which attracted around 400 Wellingtonians.

“The aim of the festival is to pull as many people as we can through the doors of Thistle hall, out of the cold and into the warmth of open mic, and shared experience through the spoken word,” said Ireson.

“We want to take poetry and story telling out of libraries, sitting rooms and institutions and place it back where it belongs, on the streets and in the heart of our communities.”

The Word Festival features workshops, an exhibition, a word market, readings and performances. It is run by the award winning Word Collective which is made up of local Wellington poets, storytellers, artists and speakers who have gathered during the last 18 months to create word events including:

Magellan Fringe Festival 2003 nominated best New Media
The Inaugural Word Festival Thistle Hall July 2003
Speakeasy BATS Theatre, Jazz Festival Oct 2003
SK8Board Poets Fringe Festival 2004 nominated: Best Outdoor, Original Concept, Promotion, Ensemble. Winner: “Spirit of the Fringe”
Salad Bones Bodega Bar CD Release March 2004

“It could even be said that the Word Collective have created a whole new genre!”
Bodega’s Memo gig guide

“Thistle Hall is a fitting venue for such an exhibition, sitting right next to the proposed bypass –in Wordform a cacophany of messages are shouted, spat ,whispered and even sung."
Mark Amery Dominion Post

For more information or images contact Craig Ireson wordfestival@hotmail.com
Phone (04) 389 8177

WORD FESTIVAL PROGRAMME
Tuesday 13 – Saturday 17 July
Thistle Hall Community Centre, Cnr Arthur and Cuba Streets, Wellington
The kaupapa of the festival is open and accessible and every event is entry by koha.

TUESDAY 13 JULY
Festival Opening and Wordform Exhibition, 6pm
A gallery style opening with DJ Blackneck Duck. The exhibition interprets the idea of using word and narrative devices in visual art, and is curated by Chris Lundquist of the Babel Gallery.

WEDNESDAY 14 JULY
Writers’ Workshop, 10am
Biddy Grant, through her Standing Ovation initiative holds a writers workshop. Guests speakers offer information about all forms of professionalism in the industry. Participants will be able to meet with publishing houses and learn the inside story on getting their work out to a wider audience.

Fireside Korero, 7pm
Offering a warm friendly environment for first timers and seasoned poets and storytellers. People can tell their stories in whatever form they like; poetry, song, whai korero. Bring a cushion.

THURSDAY 15 JULY
Word Performance Workshop, 10am
A voice workshop helping poets and storytellers to find their voice and communicate their stories to an audience. They will be coached on natural and microphone projection techniques. A rare opportunity to have to have top class training by top class teachers and practitioners Nina Nawalowalo and Susanna Lei’ataua.

Art Politik II, 7pm
An open forum arts debate. Local and national political representatives, and arts industry insiders give a ‘health check’ on the artist in Aotearoa/New Zealand. This is a hosted panel event, followed by music and informal sharing of ideas/ideals.
We invite the public to e-mail wordfestival@hotmail.com with any questions they would like to see put to the forum.

FRIDAY 16 JULY
Howltearoa, 8pm
To coincide with National Poetry Day Wellington’s finest beat brigands present an eclectic take on the spoken word tradition. Performers include: Ciara Mulholland, chanteuse for Shakespeare’s Bitch, Shane Holland, producer of Auckland’s Freaky Meat poetry nights, a preview of Theatre Militia’s Word Virus, and Craig Ireson the original SK8Board Poet.

SATURDAY 17 JULY
Word Market, 10am
A swap meet for ideas, where local self published poets and ‘Zine makers can buy sell or swap their wares. This is a chance to network and meet like minded artists. There will be open mike opportunities throughout the Word market. Stall holders welcome

Word Feast, 7pm
A celebratory last night party with the best of the fest performers, and guest bands. A chance to let off some steam, and a second chance to see the artists who rocked the festival.

Wordform Art Exhibition runs in Thistle Hall until Tuesday 20th July 2004.

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