I’m thrilled to be part of Amplify 2026! This May, I’ll join an extraordinary faculty in Vancouver for the Amplify Spoken Word Intensive – ten days devoted to the craft, the fire, and the staying power of spoken word. This year’s theme is Endurance, and I can’t wait to dig into what it takes to sustain a poet’s voice for the long haul.
Event at a Glance
- What: Amplify Spoken Word Intensive 2026 – theme: Endurance
- When: May 4–15, 2026 (10 days)
- Where: Across Vancouver
- Co-produced by: Stage to Page Performance Society, Vancouver Poetry House & Historic Joy Kogawa House
- With support from: Enabling Arts, OneMic Educators, the Calgary Spoken Word Society, the British Columbia Arts Council & Canada Council for the Arts
- Cost: Free to apply, free to participate (cohort selected by application)
- More info: Amplify Spoken Word Intensive
What to Expect
Amplify is an immersion – a chance for a curated cohort to write, edit, rehearse, and develop new and existing work over ten full days.
This year’s focus on Endurance will open doors to:
- Long-form poetics – building work that goes the distance
- Embodied performance through theatre and dance
- Ritual and ethical practices that sustain a poet’s career
- Workshops, lectures, and performance opportunities with a remarkable faculty, including CR Avery, Johnny D Trinh, Magpie Ulysses, Jillian Christmas, Brandon Wint, Lindi Nolte, Naomi Brand, Laura Di Cicco, Elder Mary Point, and me
- Public access – many workshops and lectures will be open to attend or audit, even beyond the cohort
Why You Should Attend
Spoken word isn’t a sprint – it’s a lifelong practice of showing up, voice and body and spirit. Amplify exists to nurture that endurance, to gather poets into an ensemble that lifts each other higher. To be part of a community that takes this art form seriously – its craft, its sustainability, its soul – is exactly why I keep saying yes to this work.
Join Us
Amplify Spoken Word Intensive runs May 4–15, 2026, across Vancouver. There’s no cost to apply and no cost to participate, and many sessions will be open to the public. Come write, rehearse, and rise with us – explore the full details and lineup through Vancouver Poetry House. Let’s endure, together!
