2014 PROGRAM
SPONSORS & THANKS North ern Territory
Government
PTILOTUS PRESS
NORTHERN TERRITORY Writers’ Centre
GRUB BLADES
Sue May Publicity
And many thanks to the following individuals and organisations: Red Hot Arts Totem Theatre Chris Wilkinson David Curtis Yvette Holt Laura Martinez-Oliveras Janet May Sue Fielding Nicole Sarfati Sue May Leni Shilton Sam-Twyford Moore Nico Liengme Glenn Morrison Wilbur (for all the sloppy dog licks) Kaye Hall Ali Jacs
WELCOME Welcome to the Red Dirt Poetry Festival! The inaugural three-day spoken word celebration in Alice Springs. Built on the back of the success of The Dirty Word and Alice Springs’ long and rich love affair with poetry, this festival will bring together poets and spoken word artists from all over Australia and overseas to create a new chapter in the artistic scene of Alice Springs. Come with us on this journey as we explore the spoken word poetic medium and share stories, truths and experiences, even if those truths hurt. We’re inspired by Alice Walker; Be nobody’s darling; Be an outcast. So, it’s on behalf of everyone who has helped make this festival happen, that I welcome you to the first Red Dirt Poetry Festival! Bring your poems, your love and your passions and remember, “be nobody’s darling,” make an impact instead. Laurie May Festival Director
WEB www.reddirtpoetryfestival.com EMAIL thedirtywordasp@gmail.com FACEBOOK facebook.com/thedirtywordasp TWITTER twitter.com/thedirtywordasp FESTIVAL HASHTAG #rdpf14
FEATURE EVENTS THURSDAY 31 JULY
LANEWAY HIP-HOP
OPENING EVENT
All the way from Brisbane, eclectic spokenword musos Rivermouth will take you on an existential narrative journey that will leave you lost for words. Supported by Alice Springs’ hiphop wordsmith, Darcy Davis, and jaw dropping Centralian & Barkly hip-hop artists. Price: $15
THE DIRTY WORD TOTEM THEATRE, 7.30PM - 11PM
Bring your notebooks, your pens, your fancy iPhones and share your story at the historic Totem Theatre. The Dirty Word is Alice Springs’ premiere spoken word open mic night. Hosted by the talented Randi Janelle all the way from Wellington, this is the place to be heard, be inspired and share truths. Featuring live music by Francis Diatschenko and Jemima Jones. Price: Entry by donation
FRIDAY 1 AUGUST BORROLOOLA SCHOOL KIDS DIGITAL POETRY TOTEM THEATRE, 12.30PM - 1.30PM
A matinee viewing of the Borroloola school kids video poetry project, the result of a one month residency with poet Lionel Fogarty and digital artist Amanda King. It runs for 50 minutes and is comprised of many short digital poems written and then produced by kids in Borroloola ranging from ages 7 to 17. Price: $5
RIVERBED RAVING TOTEM THEATRE, 7.30PM - 9.30PM
Get up close and personal with some of Australia’s most talented poets and spoken word artists for a night of storytelling. Featuring Laurie May, Claine Keily, Carly Phillips, Sanya Yorth, Celestine Delvene Rowe, Freya Dougan and Andrew Galan. Featuring live music by Gav the Tinker and Apakatjah. Price: $10
EPILOGUE LOUNGE, 9.30PM - LATE
SATURDAY 2 AUGUST HAIKU DEATH MATCH 8CCC CARPARK, 10.00AM - MIDDAY
Using original haiku, haikusters will battle it out in head-to-head competition. Sign up for poets is at 9.30am and the showdown starts at 10am. The annual NT Haiku Death Match is hosted by haiku legend Cy Starkman and broadcast live on 8CCC Community Radio. Price: Donations welcomed!
OFF THE PAGE TOTEM THEATRE, 6.00PM - 8.00PM
Join us for NT Writers’ Centre spoken word event Off the Page, featuring NT poetic readings by Kelly-Lee Hickey, Joshua Davis, David Curtis, Sandra Thibodeaux and Ktima Heathcote plus more. There will be an open mic and music. Hosted by Panos Couros. Price: $10
THE POETRY GAMES TOTEM THEATRE, 8.30PM - LATE
Two teams of wordsmiths battle it out in a series of improvised poetic challenges. From haiku to freestyle with more metaphors than you can shake a simile at. Don’t miss out for your chance to get onstage and compete alongside our champs. Price: $10
WORKSHOPS THURSDAY 31 JULY
SATURDAY 2 AUGUST
SPOKEN WORD PERFORMANCE WORKSHOP
OPEN POETRY WORKSHOP
TOTEM THEATRE, 12.30PM - 1.30PM
Spoken word performance workshop. Spend your lunch break with Laurie May running through your work to gain some delivery advice and microphone technique. Price: $5 Register: thedirtywordasp@gmail.com
IAD POETRY TO PRINT WORKSHOP TOTEM THEATRE, 2PM - 5PM
Aboriginal poets are invited to get work shop their poems with Yvette Holt and IAD Press before watching them be transformed into a printed chapbook, which will be available for sale before the end of the festival. Register: thedirtywordasp@gmail.com
ALICE SPRINGS LIBRARY, 1PM - 3PM
A workshop for poets of all ages and skills to develop and hone poetic storytelling abilities. Run by Randi Janelle, this workshop will develop a love and talent for the written and spoken word. Price: $5 Register: thedirtywordasp@gmail.com
ZINE MAKING WORKSHOP ALICE SPRINGS LIBRARY, 1PM - 3PM
Poet, rapper and zine maker Freya Dougan leads this workshop for all ages developing skills and flair in zine making. All the way from Melbourne, Freya brings her passion to Alice Springs. Price: $5 Register: thedirtywordasp@gmail.com
POETRY MASTERCLASS RED HOT ARTS, 1PM - 4PM
Spend three hours workshopping your poems with Darwin’s poetic super talent Sandra Thibodeaux. Register: NT Writers Centre on 8941 2651
THROUGHOUT THE FESTIVAL • Bush Poetry Busking in Todd Mall with Fairbanks and Ian Bacchus
• The living poet-tree in Todd Mall
• Poetic art on display/for sale at Page 27
• Twitter poetry throughout the festival @thedirtyword #rdpf14
• The Disappearing app (Android & iOS) redroomcompany.org/projects/disappearing
• Zines & merchandise available at Totem Theatre
PERFORMERS RANDI JANELLE WELLINGTON, NZ
Like her American name suggests, Randi has the hots for travelling. After living overseas for a few years, she has some saucy things to say about the experience. She pairs cheeky performance poetry and stunning travel photography, exploring the topics of relationships and home.
LAURIE MAY ALICE SPRINGS, NT
Revolution poet Laurie May from Alice Springs brings you tales of resistance, feminism and poverty. Drawing on distillations of life under the poverty line to working as a journalist in East Africa, Laurie has travelled a long way to bring you a different perspective on the new Australian identity.
SANYA YORTH ALICE SPRINGS, NT
Sanya Yorth is a pragmatic idealist who was born and raised in South Western Sydney but is now living his dreams of working in Central Australia with our First Nations Peoples. Sanya’s inspiring poetry invokes truth, love and social justice. He will leave a profound imprint on your conscience and spirit.
CARLY PHILLIPS ALICE SPRINGS, NT
Carly Phillips is an English teacher in Alice Springs. Like most teachers around here what she lacks in resources she makes up for in passion... and cynicism. As dark and shameless as the current state of Australian politics, Ms Phillips is sure to inspire a smug chuckle because it’s nice to feel like you’re on the right side of the joke.
FREYA DOUGAN MELBOURNE, VIC
Freya Dougan’s poetry is hilarious and heartwarming. Originally from Adelaide, Freya now lives in Melbourne. She won the Victorian Poetry Slam Championship in 2012. She helps curate and MC at Melbourne’s Voices In the Attic open mic. Freya studies publishing and editing, and is part of the cast of the 2014 Melbourne University Law Revue.
ANDREW GALAN CANBERRA, ACT
Andrew Galan’s first book is That Place of Infested Roads (Life During Wartime); Knives Forks and Spoons Press, 2013. His work appears in journals and magazines in Australia, the United States, Chile, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Ireland. He performs his poetry in Australia and internationally.
RIVERMOUTH BRISBANE, QLD
Our vocalist is a cross between a megaphone and a typewriter. Our keyboardist is a virtuoso mad scientist. Our bassist plays in the Richter scale. Our drummer’s great-grandfather was a metronome. Light and shade. Love and politics. Hip-hop/folk with a whisper of neo-soul. And more poetry than you can shake a simile at.
DARCY DAVIS ALICE SPRINGS, NT
Alice born spoken word artist and musician, Darcy Davis has just returned from 2 years study in Melbourne graduating from an Advanced Diploma in Music Performance. Since his return to Alice, Darcy’s been working on developing a healthy music scene in town and producing local artists at Eastside’s own Red House Recordings.
YVETTE HOLT ALICE SPRINGS, NT
Yvette Holt has worked in the field of Indigenous literature research and studies for more than a decade, she is currently living and working as lecturer of creative writing in Alice Springs. Her poetic prowess ranges from the seductive through to the productive enamel of human fragility.
SANDRA THIBODEAUX DARWIN, NT
Sandra Thibodeaux is a poet and playwright. She has recently released her fourth collection of poetry, Dirty H2O (Mulla Mulla Press). Sandra has written over a dozen plays that have been staged as part of festivals and broadcast on Radio National. Her most recent play was The Lion Tamer, winner of the Darwin Festival Script Award, 2012.
PERFORMERS JOSHUA DAVIS ALICE SPRINGS, NT
Joshua Davis is a founding member of Elephant Island, he makes art and films, but rarely his bed. A corporate refugee, Joshua fled the coastal advertising world and escaped to the central desert in 2012. He has famously sworn an oath never to return to Melbourne or Sydney again, except for visits. He will shortly become extremely famous.
DR. JULIE VINCENT ALICE SPRINGS, NT
Dr Julie Vincent of Art from the Heart is an artist, poet, singer, song writer and given the opportunity, a performer. She travelled the world creating art and poetry en route before finding herself in Alice Springs. She has just published 2 books on art and poetry.
IAN BACCHUS & FAIRBANKS ALICE SPRINGS, NT
Ian is Australian born and grew up in NSW. He has lived in Alice Springs since 1997, and has a deep love for his country and its’ inhabitants. Fairbanks made what had been an itinerant Centre stay a permanent home - for wandering, for work, rest, and play.
CY STARKMAN ALICE SPRINGS, NT
If you get the chance to say 50 words do not waste them on crap like what you have done or how you are so funny. Imagine submitting no words at all, just spaces, the program designer would trip out. Respect my spaces man, they are so deep right now.
DAVID C. CURTIS TENNANT CREEK, NT
David C. Curtis is an Aboriginal writer of bush stories and speculative fiction. He’s a talented writer with half a dozen different projects in progress at present, ranging in themes from the bush to science fiction. More recent works have been published digitally.
CLAINE KEILY DARWIN, NT
Claine Keily is published by Dust Jacket Press in Colorado. Her poems appear in Sotto, published by Australian Poetry and in The Wonderbook of Poetry, Notes for the Translators and When the Moon is Swimming Naked, edited by Christopher (Kit) Kelen.
CELESTINE DELVENE ROWE ADELAIDE, SA
Celestine Delvene Rowe is a Central Australian poet and single mum, currently living in Adelaide. A bit political, never shy on stage, rise to the challange, speaking the truth, telling the story.
KELLY-LEE HICKEY ALICE SPRINGS, NT
Kelly-Lee Hickey explores human intimacy through poetry, performance and installation. An Australian Poetry Slam Champion, her work has been published in Australia, China and New Zealand. Her upcoming installation The Museum of Intimate Memories will be part of the Free BBQ Cash Giveaway mini arts festival in September 2014.
KTIMA HEATHCOTE TENNANT CREEK, NT
Ktima Heathcote has fun writing poems and short stories inspired by the dusty red landscape she now inhabits and has a story, The Cooper Chronicles, on the online literary journal, Inland Sea. She has read at WordStorm 2010 and 2012, was a guest panelist at Words on the Fringe: Katherine 2011, and performed at The Dirty Word 2013.
FESTIVAL MUSICIANS ALICE SPRINGS, NT
Throughout the festival you will be inspired, entertained and intrigued by various Alice Springs musicians including Apakatjah, Jemina Jones, Gav the Tinker and Francis Diatschenko. Catch them at Totem Theatre during the festival.
VENUES A) TOTEM THEATRE ANZAC OVAL RESERVE
The historic Totem Theatre is nestled between the bank of the dry Todd River and ANZAC Oval, just a short stroll north of the Todd Mall.
B) EPILOGUE LOUNGE TODD MALL
One of Alice Springs’ newest cafe/restaurants, Epilogue provides tasty meals, snacks and cocktails with gorgeous atmosphere.
C) PAGE 27 CAFE FAN ARCADE, TODD MALL
The premier spot for coffee in Alice Springs, Page 27 is hidden slightly out of view down the Fan Arcade in the south end of the Todd Mall.
D) 8CCC COMMUNITY RADIO EAST SIDE SHOPS, LINDSAY AVE
Alice’s favourite radio station, 8CCC provides a platform to be heard and features a wonderfully inclusive community.
E) ALICE SPRINGS LIBRARY ALICE SPRINGS TOWN COUNCIL
There’s no better place to get some peace and quiet and get things done than the library. Tucked behind the Alice Springs Town Council, access from Leichhardt TCE.
F) RED HOT ARTS CNR BATH ST & STOTT TCE
Alice’s hottest arts org, Red Hot Arts exist to serve the arts sector, as well as running the annual Alice Desert Festival.
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