Join us for a free spoken word workshop series facilitated by Sukhjit Khalsa and Abdulrahman Hammoud, where you can connect with other young people (aged 15+) from diverse cultures and faiths to create new expressions in spoken word poetry. Previous experience is not required to participate.
Common Ground is a unique, multilingual multi faith project that utilises poetry and spoken word to build connection and understanding between young people of diverse faiths and cultures in Perth.
The project will encourage creativity, participation and story telling through spoken word poetry through a series of workshops running from Monday 2 October to Friday 6 October 2018 at the State Theatre Suite, State Theatre Centre of WA, 3 - 5.30pm.
Workshops include discussion of contemporary issues, sharing of personal stories, development of poetry and performance techniques and development of high quality, new poetic work. Our creative process is based on collaboration between artists and participants and is intended to build confidence and capacity for creative self expression of our young people.
The final showcase will be on Saturday 7 October where family and friends will be invited to view the performances.
Previous experience is not required.
About the Facilitators
Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa is a first generation Australian Sikh, spoken word artist, educator, performer & human rights reformer based in Melbourne. Sukhjit is passionate about diversity and the importance of visibility in the performing arts and inherently merges her advocacy background with the arts. Her work predominantly provokes conversations around Australian identity, feminism, cultural confusions and the power of uncomfortable conversations. Within a short period, Sukhjit has gone from performing at the Opera House for the Australian Poetry Slam Competition in 2014 to performing on national television for Australia’s Got Talent, and most recently was a speaker at TedxUWA. She has shared the stage with renowned artists such as Missy Higgins and L-Fresh the Lion and her performances and workshops have led her to tour USA, Canada, UK and South East Asia, as well as across our very own nation.
Abdulrahman Hammoud is a spoken word artist based in Melbourne by way of Lebanon, a country that he is still captivated by and connects to. He teaches writing classes and workshops for schools and organizations that are looking to explore new avenues of expression. His art has taken him as close as New Zealand and as far as the United States, as well as to his beloved home country. In 2013, he became founder of The Dirty Thirty online writing platform, an ever-growing group for writers to challenge themselves every April. He is now also editor and compiler of The Dirty Thirty Anthology, an annual collection of poetry from the page he coordinates. Most of his work revolves around current issues including the constant state of war in the Middle East, racial divides, as well as the portrayal of masculinity. He is also a full time student and an avid purveyor of starting books but not finishing them.
Common Ground in Western Australia is brought to you by Community Arts Network WA in partnership with Multicultural Arts Victoria, and is supported by Propel Youth Arts WA, and the State Theatre Centre of Western Australia.
FURTHER DETAILS
Young people aged 15 - 26 can register for free via Eventbrite and follow the event on Facebook. If you have further enquiries about the workshop series, you can email Hamida at Community Arts Network WA.