“a beacon of hope and change”
–The Georgia Straight
Coming to Petersburg at the Wright Auditorium, April 17, 2017. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. with the show starting at 7:00 p.m.
Tickets are available at Lee’s Clothing and at the door. Prices are $15 for general admission, and $10 for students and seniors.
“Shane’s words were so emotional and powerful it was impossible not to be drawn in. Shane doesn’t just recite poetry. He brilliantly manipulates the emotions of his audience members, bringing them from tears of sadness to tears of laughter.”
–Cassie Silva, Review Vancouver
In a realm where poets rarely intersect with stardom, the Opening Ceremonies for the 2010 Winter Olympics introduced us to Shane Koyczan. With a collective “wow” across Canada and beyond, we found the poet of our generation. And we weren’t even looking for one. The world took notice when Shane’s influential, anti-bullying, To This Day Project video went viral in early 2013 with over 14 million views and counting. Powerfully engaging and authentic in attitude, his explorations are relevant to our times in the way that Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Gordon Downie and Leonard Cohen are to theirs. But unlike the musicians that he’s often compared to, poets rarely infiltrate pop culture. Koyzcan emerges in a new wave of 21st century poetry that dares to belong to the people and speak directly to them in their own voice.
Shane Koyczan is best known for his award winning spoken word performances. With his rhythmic verse in high gear, he navigates his audience through social and political territory with a furious honesty and a tender humanity that has brought audiences to their feet in New York, London, Edinburgh, Sydney, Stockholm, and Los Angeles, to name a few. He has received 5 star reviews for his performances around the globe. Winner of the US Slam Poetry Championship and the Canadian Spoken Word Olympics, Koyczan is truly an extraordinary talent that has blown the dust off of the traditional designation “poet”.
“With biting honesty and a riveting stage presence, 29-year-old Vancouver spoken word artist Shane Koyczan is quickly obliterating all the rules of poetry and forging his own literary path”
–The Quill and Quire
Artist website: http://www.shanekoyczan.com/
“Poetry isn’t a problem when it’s this cool”
–Metro
The Shane Koyczan program was made possible with funding by Rasmuson Foundation through the Harper Arts Touring Fund, and is administered, under contract, by the Alaska State Council on the Arts.
Petersburg Arts Council 