Colouring Rotorua with poetry

A group that aims to uplift young people through the art of the spoken word will be in Rotorua this week to challenge local rangatahi to give poetry a go and participate in a live public performance.

Hamilton’s UPLIFT crew has accepted an invitation from local artist Angela Frank and Marc Spijkerbosch, the Community arts advisor at the Rotorua Lake Council, to hold some workshops in Rotorua. It’s the first time the crew will host workshops outside of the Waikato region in recognition of the National Poetry Day on Friday.

A member of UPLIFT, Hamiora de Thierry, is excited his crew will be in Rotorua to work with Rotorua Lakes High School and Western Heights High School students. “Our aim is to inspire rangatahi through the medium of the spoken word because we acknowledge they have a lot of challenges and these wānanga act as an outlet for them to express themselves.”

The workshops will be held during the schools’ respective lunch breaks and will start with a crew performance to give students a taste of what they will learn.

“We drop our own sound to help inspire rangatahi and hype them up to give it a go. We get them into groups to go through exercises like rhymes and vocabulary games. We get them to write a story about their experiences and help them to flesh out their stories”, he says.

After the workshops, students will be encouraged to participate in front of the community at the Rotorua Night Market on Thursday.

Hamiora de Thierry reckons it’s not too difficult to get young people to join the poetry slam or competition on Thursday. “It’s like a smile, it’s contagious. We smile at them and challenge them to come along to perform and they smile back at us. As soon as the first rangatahi stands up to take part another will join them”, he says.

Marc Spijkerbosch of the Rotorua Lakes Council says “These workshops and performance will be an opportunity for Rotorua to celebrate poetry. It’s also a chance to challenge our rangatahi to step outside of their comfort zone and to be inspired by talented poets.”

Angela Frank, who has co-ordinated the workshops and performance with help from Mr Spijkerbosch, says “I was inspired by the crew’s skills when I saw them last year at the Community Cultural Development Summit. UPLIFT’s energy will encourage youth in Rotorua to catch the buzz for literary arts through spoken word”.

Hamiora de Thierry says “Poetry is powerful. I wish I found this gift earlier because I know I would have had a tool to improve my education when I was at school. This is the gift I want other young people to realise”.

The Uplift crew comes under Te Ahurei a Rangatahi, a youth focussed organisation that provides educational, promotional and social service initiatives in the Hamilton region.

In addition to the rangatahi activities, the $5 Poetry Shot will take place on Wednesday evening, and will cater to a more mature audience. McLeod’s Booksellers on Pukuatua Street will host the night of poetry readings, celebrating two local poets, Brian Potiki (Rotoehu) and Keith Nunes (Rotomā).

PUBLIC EVENTS

Wednesday 24 August: $5 Poetry Shot, McLeod’s Booksellers on Pukuatua St, 5.30pm

Thursday 25 August: UPLIFT Slam Poets, Rotorua Night Market from 5pm

HIGH SCHOOL PERFORMANCE WORKSHOPS

Wednesday 24 August, Rotorua Lakes High School

Thursday 25 August, Western Heights High School

ENDS

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