Exprosé is a series of non-profit poetry workshops showcasing one artist's work while providing space for others to create and perform in response.
I've found that as a poet, I am limited as a performer to local open mics geared toward musicians or commuting to Downtown Toronto for the Toronto Poetry Slam events. Mississauga's performing arts sector does not currently provide enough space for poets to connect and improve their craft within the community; Exprosé will be pivotal in changing that fact (in conjunction with local poet Lisa Chen and team's Sauga Poetry open mic series, of course). As a pebble creates ripples in a pond, the goal is that Exprosé will encourage the poets of Mississauga to work together and build relationships that will hopefully evolve into collaborative efforts and network connections between creatives.
Exprosé will be a space for poets and writers to commune with featured guests and witness these artists peel the layers of metaphors and similes away from their pieces. This showcase also includes the opportunity for attendees to write draft pieces inspired by what they heard, with the option to share their work at the mic in front of their peers. The three prompts given, inspired by lines from the showcase, are each slated to have 10 minutes of writing time available. There are no limitations on the number of pieces written in this period as long as attendees use this time to write. At the end of the writing section, the host will read one of the pieces they wrote during that time and encourage those comfortable with public speaking to do the same.
By the end of this series, my only hope is that someone has a poem they're excited they wrote, a featured poet's confidence in their work increases and the connections between Mississauga's local poetry community are both created anew and reinforced to be stronger than before. Fundraising for The Mississauga Food Bank is an added bonus.
INTENTIONALLY NATHAN - SATURDAY, MAY 13, 2023 - VIRTUAL LAUNCH
Nathan Nicholas is a 28-year-old spoken word artist and songwriter from Mississauga, Ontario. He has performed throughout the province in cities like Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Windsor, Vaughan, and more. While bringing his own style of storytelling to stages like PrideTO, Manifesto, and 1234, just to name a few. His goal is to share his journey of self-love and the lack thereof through his art, and he has no plans on stopping.
LISA SHEN - SATURDAY, MAY 27, 2023
Lisa Shen is a writer and spoken word artist, and the 2023-2025 Youth Poet Laureate of the City of Mississauga. Her work centers on feminism and gender-based violence, with secondary focuses on Chinese-Canadianism, disability, and queer identity. Lisa is the winner of the 2021 Mississauga Poetry Slam, the 2022 Ink Movement Slam, and the May 2020 Open Drawer Poetry Contest. She is the Director of Sauga Poetry, Mississauga’s hub for spoken word events. She was awarded the 2022 Buddies Queer Emerging Artists Award, and is dedicated to uplifting poetry across the Greater Toronto Area.
RAMROCKSPEAKS - SATURDAY, JUNE 24, 2023
Ramon Carty is a Jamaican-Canadian Poet from Ajax. As the founder of 6ixPoetsSociety, he focuses on event curation and inspiring people to scrape away the silence lodged in their throats and put it to paper. Ramon curates weekly virtual writing workshops and open mics.
JUDITH SHAW - SATURDAY, JULY 22, 2023
Judith Shaw is a poet who welcomes art however it arrives. She is the author of the children’s book “My Grandmother Said Art Is Everywhere.” Judith enjoys sharing her art with others and finds a satisfying beauty in other artists’ creativity.
See you in 2024!
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHERYL PAQUIN