This past week, Amanda Gorman took the stage at President Joe Biden’s inauguration, reminding us of the power of spoken word and the ability it has to unite us. As many have shifted their lives to focus around their own homes, people are seeking social connection now more than ever. Luckily for us, various Montreal organizations continue to put on artistic events that bring us together. As such, La poésie partout will be hosting Rencontres multilingues en poésie from January 21st to the 28th.
In fact, Rencontres multilingues en poésie is a virtual eight-day event meant to resemble a festival accessible from our homes. The event’s mission is to bring people with different poetry backgrounds together and celebrate the cultural and linguistic diversity within poetry.
What to Expect from Rencontres multilingues en poésie
Rencontres multilingues en poésie is a new initiative from La poésie partout following their previously well-received events. This new project hopes to highlight the diversity within poetry and to focus on the fact that poetry exists in all languages.
The online poetry festival will be available on various platforms such as Facebook, YouTube and Zoom. The project features 33 poets. There are three main events taking place over the eight days: an exchange project between Quebec and Colombia, a writing workshop and open mic night, and a three-part cabaret.
Eight Days of Shows and Workshops Broken Down
Firstly, the week began with eight poets from Quebec and eight from Colombia that took part in an exchange project. The poets were paired up and had been corresponding for the last few months, sharing their poetry across borders. So, the first two nights featured bilingual programs as the sixteen poets read some of their work.
The shows are still going on and there is still a chance for you to get involved. Consequently, Saturday, January 23 you can attend a writing workshop followed by a discussion on multilingualism. If you’re feeling brave you can also sign up for the open mic night and share your work the same day.
Next, Rencontres multilingues en poésie really puts the spotlight on language diversity. The project presents two nights of shows featuring ten different poets and ten different languages in each show.
Finally, the week closes with a three-part cabaret. The first night is a live poetry show allowing discussion to follow. The next two nights are pre-recorded shows in the spirit of cabaret.
You can check out La poésie partout’s calendar of events to schedule your week and discover other upcoming events.
How to Take Part
In short, if you’re looking to make new discoveries and new connections, Rencontres multilingues en poésie is just the way to do that. You can sign up for shows and workshops through the La poésie partout website or their Facebook page.
“There is poetry for all tastes,” said Jonathan Lamy, coordinator of La poésie partout. “Poetry has never been as accessible as now.”
Lastly, if you’re looking for new artistic endeavors within your reach, you can learn more about the Jano Lapin Gallery’s new visual art exhibit “Ribboned Rainbow” here.
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Journalism student at Concordia University and travel enthusiast. Passionate about music, poetry, and getting to know the stories of new individuals- especially those inspired by their art. Olivia aims to create connections through her love of writing by sharing experiences and stories.
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