Lift Off — The BIPOC Edition
A poetry workshop for people of colour who want to explore poetry
A blue sky with clouds and a flock of birds.
Welcome to Lift Off.
This is a joyful and productive workshop for people of colour who want to dive into the mysterious ocean called poetry.
It’s especially designed for folks who feel awkward about the idea of poetry. It’s designed for folks who don’t think they “get” poetry. It’s designed or folks who think that maybe poetry is a party they weren’t invited to.
We’ll tear down the walls of what we think a poem is and rebuild them in whatever way we want, building self-trust, delight and discovery into every step.
As a BIPOC-only space, we’ll especially welcome themes and content that might not arise in predominantly white spaces. We’ll work from examples by writers of colour, lifting up voices that are often marginalized in the mainstream.
Here’s how it works:
We’ll meet on Zoom once a week for six weeks. Each week we’ll look at a different “function” of poetry (to delight, to create pause, to make a political statement, etc.) We’ll revel in some of the ways other poets have filled this function and we’ll take what we love into our own work.
We’ll also write poems for people, using real-life poem requests by other BIPOC in our community to inspire new work.
There will be lots of room for experimentation, laughter, tears and nonsense. There will also be homework, so come prepared to work between sessions.
We have an open version of this class for people of any racial background, this one is reserved for people who identify as Black, Indigenous or people of colour, including mixed race.
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Identify as Black, Indigenous, a person of colour, racialized or mixed-race.
Are curious, but not totally convinced that poetry has a place for them.
Struggle to make time for creativity in the bustle of daily life.
Love the idea of a weekly creative date with a small group of others.
Feel ready (though maybe a little scared) to share their writing.
Enjoy experimentation.
Are interested in exploring their own lives as writing material and sharing some of what comes up. (We tend to get a little personal).
Thrive in small, cozy groups (this class will never have more than 8 participants).
Feel aligned with our fundamental beliefs.
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Lots poems written by you!
New favourite poets, both from out in the world, and from around the workshop table.
A renewed sense of your writing voice and your unique gifts as a writer.
Writing peers whose work you are invested in.
A feeling of creative playfulness and possibility.
Creative courage.
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Critique or competition. We’re all about the love.
Strict rules on “how to write poems”. We’ll work on developing your writing skills but we don’t subscribe to the idea that there’s one way to create powerful work.
Pressure to write things you don’t want to write. We go where the joy is.
A lot of instruction on poetry “forms”. We’ll play with some forms like villanelles and haiku, but the focus of this workshop is on the spirit of poetry, not the rules.
Details:
Asifa
This workshop isn’t running this season but it will be back soon! Join our early bird mailing list for early access to future registration or sign up for our newsletter.
Cost:
The fee for this 6-session workshop is $515. If you prefer, you can pay in 4 monthly installments of $128.75. Tax will be added for Canadians in your local provincial rate. See our financial policies.
Two spots will be reduced to half-price, first come first served. Let us know before you sign up if you’d like one of those and we’ll let you know if they’re still available. If the price is a barrier, don't hesitate to apply for financial aid.
If you don’t have a credit card, let us know and we’ll gladly find a way to make it work.
See our financial policies.
Sign up here:
Join our early bird mailing list for early access to future registration or sign up for our newsletter.
Questions?
Your answer is probably on this page.
Looking for more options?
Take a peek at our other in-house workshops, our coaching services, and our monthly writers care package.