London Poetry Slam

Reflections from the five poets who travelled to the 2014 Canadian Festival of Spoken Word (CFSW):

Emma Blue (1st festival):
“I’m not exaggerating when I say CFSW was a life-changing experience. If you want to see the real ability of spoken word to empower, educate, and enlighten, you have to try to go.”

Ceilidhe Miller (1st festival):
“Spending a week with so many poets allowed me to make new friendships and to strengthen existing ones. CFSW has helped in shaping me as a poet and has rekindled my love for poetry. I am walking away from it with lots of new ideas and a better grasp of what kind of poet I want to be.”

Rachel Rensby (2nd festival):
“CFSW this year for me was eye opening, it was finding my place in a community I felt like I was looking in through a window on last year, but mostly it gave me an idea of the poet that I want to be. If there is one take home message I took away from CFSW, it is that our talents are a gift, our words have power to educate and advocate for change in this world.”

Ted Olczak (3rd festival):
“After attending my third Canadian Festival of Spoken Word, I can’t help but be blown away by what this community has to offer. While the on stage performances are as on point as they always have been, it’s the off stage community that inspires me more than anything. It just makes you want to be better, both as a poet and as a person.”

Holly Painter (3rd festival):
“Nationals is an incredible opportunity to connect with people from across the country that share a love not only for expression through poetry, but for contributing to the world passionately and positively. CFSW is more than just poems; it’s emotional, thought-provoking, educational, and inspiring on a whole new level than what is experienced at individual community slams. I am never more proud to be part of the Canadian spoken word scene than I am during the festival.”