Firefly Open Mic Night
It’s our birthday, and we’re hosting an open mic!
OMG, Firefly is 20! To celebrate, we’re hosting an in-person Open Mic Night (our first in 5 years!) at the beautiful St. Matthew's Clubhouse on Wednesday, April 9th. Come read your work to the nicest people in Toronto.
The theme is “Community Care.” If you want to share work, bring a piece about a moment when you (or a character) felt the power of community, through friendship, the kindness of strangers, deep love, or any of the other forms that human connection can bring. Stories, poems, songs, scenes — it’s all welcome! Just keep it under 500 words or 4 minutes.
Our dream is to create a warm and inspiring place for Fireflies, friends, and anyone who is curious about our community to show up with open hearts, and celebrate all the things that words (and community) can do.
Kim & Asifa, your hosts for the evening
All the details:
This in-person event will be on Wednesday, April 9th from 7:30–9:30 pm.
We’ll be meeting at St. Matthew’s Clubhouse, located at 450 Broadview Avenue in Toronto. It’s a barrier-free space with gender-neutral bathrooms. Here’s a full accessibility breakdown.
This is a free event (thank you to East Ends Arts for generously donating the space)!
You don’t need to register in advance. We can fit around 60 people and we'll open doors at 7pm. We’re hopeful that we’ll fit everyone who comes, but come early if you want to make sure you’ll have a spot.
Two Firefly coaches, Kim and Asifa, will walk us through the evening, including a break in the middle.
This event won’t be recorded.
We’ve booked a large HEPA air purifier for the event through our new friends at the Safe Air Collective! They rent air purifiers to arts orgs by donation, to make our spaces more accessible to all.
Masks are warmly welcomed but are not mandatory.
We’re going to really “birthday” this up! Think — streamers, cupcakes, balloons. Maybe even loot bags. If you want to add anything to the festivities, you’re welcome to!
Come read your work to the nicest people in Toronto!
We’ll have 10 spots for readers, with sign-up when you arrive. If you want to read a piece, simply show up in good time, and get your name on the list. Each reader will have 4 minutes, including any preamble, so keep your work under 500 words. All pieces should be somewhat on the theme of community care… which you can interpret in any way you like.
If you don’t want to perform, still come! We want to make a sea of smiling faces!
If you use WheelTrans and may not make it there early, but want to read, please get in touch with us.
This is a hate-free space. Anyone reading work or making comments that promote racism or other forms of bigotry will be asked to leave.
Never performed? Perfect! We’re nervous too. Awkwardness is beautiful. If you’re a veteran of the stage, you are also very welcome.
Can’t make it, but still want to share the love?
We’ll miss you, but we know our big, beautiful community can’t fit in one room, and that many of you live far away.
Throughout the Open Mic, we’ll be sharing wishes for the next 20 years of Firefly and memories from the last 20. Please use this form to submit a message. We’ll also be setting up a clothesline of memories and wishes, so we may transcribe what you share to hang it up!
This evening will be perfect for you if:
You’re delighted (and slightly terrified by) the idea of reading your work in front of a crowd… Or you just want to listen and support.
You want to slide out of your day-to-day to connect with other people who love words.
You adore the idea of celebrating new voices, especially the shaky, tentative ones.
You’re curious about our community and want to spend some time in its warm glow.
You’ve been part of Firefly’s beautiful 20 years of history, or you might want to get a feeling for what’s been going on around here.
This won’t be a great night for you if:
You want to share a piece that’s longer than 500 words. We’re keeping work short and sweet so that as many people can read as possible.
You’ll be heartbroken if your name isn’t on the list. We have space for 10 performers, and will be signing people up at the door. Once the ten spots are taken, they’re taken.
You don’t identify as one of the “Nicest people in Toronto.”
You can’t get away from the kids. Since we can’t control the content being shared, we don’t recommend this event for children.