Poetry when the world is on fire

This episode is a collection of contemporary poems written and
spoken in by artist, activists, writers and poets from different
countries (Copenhagen/New York/Lyon, Zambia/Malawi/Bern, Burkina
Faso/Italy, Ghana, Tansania, Austria, Germany, Spain, England
ecc.)- referring to the burning to the world we are living in
right now.


The call for entry started during the Corona lockdown in Austria
and ended in June- so it includes Poetry that refers to the
global historical time (Covid19/Blacklivesmatters protests/Racism
in Europe/ but also Queerness and Feminism ecc.)


This episode is a collection of political poetry in wider sense,
because it feels very urgent for this time.


The first poem is by Sylvian Souklaye- a live performer, poet,
sound and video artist. He is interested in sampling intimacies
about people who don’t belong to a determinat identity, gender,
class, color or nationality. His latest works are the video
performance Arm Wrestling For Two, Please and the performance
black breathing. Further Information:
https://www.sylvainsouklaye.com


2 Haikus are by Jay Percy, an artist and creator.


3 poems are by theater artist, writer and director Mbene
Mwambene. He grew up in Zambia and Malawi and lives in Bern,
Switzerland. Since he is very young he directs political
theater-plays. Mbene worked as journalist and after touring with
a piece for more than 6 years, he did a Master in „Expanded
Theatre“ at the „Berner Hochschule der Künste“. Mwambene’s
performances reflect his personal encounters with xenophobia,
stereotyping and racism in Switzerland and Europe.


Poems are by Rukia Kurwa, known by the artist name „The annoying
artist“, she is a curator, performer, spoken word artist living
in Daressalam, Tansania, currently producing a podcast and
curating an art festival, THE ANNOYIN’ARTIST FESTIVAL since
many years. Visit @theannoyinartist on Facebook and
Instagram for more information!


2 Poems are written and spoken by writer, theater artist,
activist, director, poet, lectures Afrodixit. AFRODIXIT is an
artist born in Burkina Faso,  she lives in Bergamo
(Italy). She has a degree in Sociology and Master in
African  Studies; investigates the social, conflicting
and intercultural relations between us and the Others; analyzes
African culture as ancestral element that influences the
evolution of the personal identity of subjects living in contexts
other than their origin. Further Information:
https://afrodixit.wixsite.com/performance-portfo


3 Poems are by Brenda Bakomora, a Ghanaian artist and poet
exploring photography, theatre, film and performance. Her work
evokes emotions that have been drawn from personal and shared
memories and realities.


2 Poems are by Julia Kannewischer; further Information:
www.juliakannewischer.com


1 Poem is by Val Smith. 2 Poems are by author and poet Tali
Cohen Shabtai from Jerusalem, Israel.


2 poems are by Raphaela Salhofer, a video artist and poet. Her
artistic work deals with rigid gender norms, sexism, racism and
includes personal experiences of how it feels to grow up as a
queer woman of color in a conservative countryside in
Upperaustria. Further information:
https://elasalhofer.wordpress.com/about/


2 poems are written by Miriam Navarro Prieto. She is
a Spanish artist who drifted from
performance art to drawing, now focused on
writing poems and short
stories on ecology, gender, queerness.
Her first poetry chapbook ‘Todo está
vivo’ will be self-published
soon. Her work appears
on Queer.Archive.Work’s ‘Urgency Reader 2’.


1 Poem is by Michael Vaccaro, an artist and writer based in
Vienna.